The Rubber Band Odyssey
by antilogicgirl
Summary: It started with a bad morning, which resulted in a bet. That bet was countered with another. Then, it grew into curiosity. Curiosity became obsession. And obsession…well…it might just become more than that. And all this, because of one rubber band.
1. Prologue: Good Morning Sunshine

**A/N:** Hi everyone! This is something that's kind of old. It was the answer to a challenge, so I hope it doesn't sound forced. The pairing? Shika/Naru. Different from my usual, yes? I hope so, because I was getting stuck in a rut. Okay. On with it. This is just the prologue, which is why it is so disgustingly short. Now, read, and I'll post the next chapter very soon.

**Legal Stuffiness:** I do not own Naruto, or any of the characters therein. Kishimoto Masashi, sole proprietor.

**The Rubber Band Odyssey**

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**Prologue: **Good Morning, Sunshine

The day began as it always did. The alarm clock rang constantly for close to fifteen minutes before a lazy hand emerged from under the dark green coverlet to find the little switch at the top that, with a small flick of the wrist, was turned completely off. He never was one for energetic mornings. When he pulled the covers back from his face (one eye at a time because boy, was it bright in here), he winced. Another day, another mission. Growling under his breath, he said one word.

"Troublesome." That's what today was going to be. After stretching, Shikamaru threw the covers off of himself to begin the new day. Looking around, he saw that his mother had cleaned again. She always complained about it, but still did it once a week. He sucked a tooth for a moment, hoping that she hadn't moved anything important (because right now, if he had to deal with her, he would slit his own throat).

"Nara Shikamaru!" _Speak of the devil, and she screams…_he thought. "Get your behind down those stairs and come eat your breakfast!"

Eying the kunai he kept on his night-table, he thought for a moment. His mother had been a Genin. She wouldn't be able to learn that resurrection jutsu to bring him back. Therefore, if he killed himself, she couldn't ever torture him again. A wicked smile curved his lips at the thought, but he shoved it away lethargically. It would certainly be more trouble than it was worth, and one couldn't play Go when one was dead. So, he just slithered out of bed and padded to his closet to get dressed.

"Now…" he mumbled, putting all of his weight on one leg, and a hand on his hip in a decent impression of Ino, "Whatever shall I wear?" Staring at the hangers of clothing, he snorted. Not much variety in a shinobi's closet, really. At least, not in one that belonged to a sixteen-year-old Jounin. He had his mesh shirts—long sleeved, now—along with the loose black shirts and pants he wore for comfort's sake, as well as several vests. Other than that, he had one set of funeral clothes (sadly, they were seeing the light of day too often as of late), some lounging things for when he stayed in on his days off, and two extra pairs of sandals. The very last thing he had was the thing he hated wearing more than anything in the world: his festival kimono. He cringed away from it before grabbing his usual clothes.

The time was now 7:35 a.m., and if he didn't make it downstairs in thirty seconds, his breakfast would be launched at his head with deadly accuracy. If there was one thing his mother _had_ been good at when she still wore her hitai-ate, it was throwing things. Taking up his vest and pulling it on as he descended the stairs, he met his mother's cool glare head on with a lazy smile and his usual "Konnichiwa, okaasan." The woman merely rolled her eyes before pointing at his place at the table.

After a rousing (and rather tasteless) breakfast of steamed rice and pickles, he excused himself from the table and went to the door, ready to start the day. Noting the change in air pressure behind him, he reached back and caught his lunch before it could smack him in the back of his head. "Arigato, okaasan," he grumbled, hefting the bento. It felt like there was lead inside. He sighed softly, blowing out his cheeks. The only being in the world that could habitually stomach Shikamaru's mother's cooking was Kiba's dog.

So he fixed his hair with his usual ponytail and headed out the door, intent on doing two things: getting some decent food, and giving his lunch to Akamaru. The moment he stepped outside, he was met by an armored and tattooed youth who was easily identified as Akimichi Chouji. The portly young man scrubbed a hand through his bright red hair, eyeing the bento. "I thought you were going to try to get out of the house without the usual brick?" Chouji asked, sheepish. He didn't like saying anything bad about Shikamaru's mother, and to him, insulting someone's cooking was the worst kind of offense. But, as previously stated, her cooking sucked worse than fire-leeches, so it was excusable.

"Hn. Yeah, well. Looks like we've gotta make a couple stops before we wake Ino up." The two of them walked along, talking a bit as they did. Finally, they came to the gates of the Inuzuka complex. There were two enormous dogs standing guard, one of which only had the one eye, but looked suspiciously at Shikamaru and Chouji nonetheless. Holding out his bento for the black and white wolfhound to sniff, he said, "Special delivery. For Akamaru." With a loud yip, the other dog, this one brown, with a body full of shaggy hair, ran off into the maze of buildings.

A few moments later, Kiba accompanied the now-grown Akamaru to the gate. The dog bounded forward when he caught a whiff of what Shikamaru held. Kiba barely managed to yell, "Sit!" before the kage-nin was bowled over. Now sitting impatiently on his haunches, the dog was looking intently at the red lacquered bento in his hands. "You can make him beg, you know." Kiba said this in that playfully growling tone he had, and laughed when Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

"No way. He'll bite my hand." When he removed the cover from the box, he saw that there were three pieces of what resembled (but would by no means_ taste like_) onigiri laying on a banana leaf inside. He had to give her points for trying. Shikamaru held up one finger to Akamaru. "No biting, okay?"

Yip.

"Good enough for me," he chuckled, and tossed one of the pieces into the air. The dog's eyes watched it fly, and he caught it deftly between his toothy jaws, munching on the rice, and what appeared to be bean paste.

"You know, maybe your mom should make dog treats. Akamaru loves her cooking." Kiba said as he leaned against the gate and unzipped his jacket and allowing the black material to hang open.

Shikamaru fed his second onigiri to Akamaru, and snorted. "I want to see _you_ mention that to her. Not even my dad says anything about how her food tastes like something Kakashi cooks on a bad day. She'd skin you alive, Kiba." All he got in reply was a fang-filled grin, which told him he'd be willing to do it if he thought he could run fast enough. Sometimes, he wondered if Kiba had a death wish. For one, he continually pissed off Shino, who could choke him with bugs in his sleep. Another thing was that he kept hitting on Ino, who could get into his head and turn his brain to jelly if she felt like it. Now, Kiba was thinking of suggesting that his mother make dog treats because that's what her cooking was best suited to?

No…he wasn't going to let the boy get killed. "It was a joke, Kiba. If you tell her that, then I'll have to kill you myself. There are lots of shadows for me to hide in."

Akamaru chomped on the last bit of onigiri, and Shikamaru put the bento in his pocket as Kiba pouted. "You're no fun, Shikamaru."

Turning to leave, he gave a little wave, and muttered (just loud enough to be heard), "That's what I'm told." Their next stop was the bakery up the street from the Korean Barbeque (their usual mission celebration spot), where he got a manju bun, and Chouji bought a couple sticks of dango. Once they'd eaten, the pair moved along to Ino's house. Rather than yelling up to her window as he would have done on most mornings, he decided to take advantage of the morning sun.

When he held up two fingers, and wrapped his other hand around them, the same fingers from the other hand in the same position, Chouji said, "She's going to slap you for that."

Shikamaru just snorted. At this point, he didn't care. It would be entertaining.

His shadow crept over the ground, up the side of the house, then into Ino's open window, using the shadows of the room to travel in and lengthen. He knew where she slept, and it didn't take long before her indignant squawk filled the morning air. Chouji covered his ears as she screamed, "Shikamaru! You're dead!" When he released his jutsu, it took less than three minutes for Ino to be down in the street, completely dressed and not a hair out of place. She blew her bangs out of her right eye needlessly before performing the most graceful full-armed slap Shikamaru had ever had the pleasure of receiving.

"I'm going to get you for that." She said as she crossed her arms under her breasts.

"Slapping my face doesn't count as getting me back?"

An evil smirk crossed her features. "No, Shikamaru, it doesn't." Ino took a couple of steps closer to him. "That is, unless I can do the same thing to you?" His eyes went wide. The last thing he wanted was to let her use that stupid _Shintenshin_ on him. He shook his head. "Well, then when you least expect it, my revenge will come." Ino's voice held a tone of finality. Shikamaru wasn't scared in the least.

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**A/N: **Well…that's the prologue. There will be more. I think I've got four chapters written, and an epilogue that's in the works. Hehe. Let me know what you think. Ja, ne. 


	2. Chapter 1: Ino and the Idiot

**A/N: **Okay...I have the first actual chapter for you. After I posted the Prologue, I figured, why the hell not? A tease is cruel, so here's a bit more. Still no real warnings.

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**Legal Stuffiness:** I do not own Naruto or any of the characters therein. Kishimoto Masashi, sole proprietor.

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**The Rubber Band Odyssey**

**Chapter 1: **Ino and the Idiot

Sighing and staring at the enormous amount of food on Chouji's plate, Ino leaned on her hand and rested against the wall of the booth. He always ate himself into the hospital…she hoped it didn't come to that this time. The guy wasn't half bad looking when he watched what he ate, but right now, the only watching he was doing was watching it go right into his mouth. A nudge to her ribs alerted her to someone trying to get her attention. Glancing sideways, she raised an eyebrow.

Bright glue eyes were wide with concern, and Naruto leaned close to her. "Is it really okay for him to eat so much?" Ino just shrugged. Chouji had eaten more than what he was now, and he was bigger than he used to be, so there was no telling. But just when she thought that he was getting worried, he whispered, "You know I'm still just a Genin….I can't afford it if he eats much more!" Ino snorted. She had forgotten that in exchange for chakra training from Asuma, Naruto was paying for their food.

Picking up a chopstick, she reached across the table and poked Chouji. "Oi, Choji…" The boy looked up from picking the last bits from a rack of ribs. "Naruto's paying, and he's got rent to think of, so you might wanna go easy on him, okay?" Chouji frowned for a moment, but put down his food. "Thanks, Chouji. I'll get you a couple bags of curry potato chips, okay?"

The Akimichi brightened up at the mention of his favorite snack, but his stomach made a noise that was not encouraging. Apparently, his heart-burn had already started. "Ugh…okay, Ino-chan…but later." Ino laughed hard, as did Naruto, but Shikamaru just snorted once, and Asuma grinned around his cigarette. Chouji leaned back in his seat, and pulled something small and red from his pouch. Ino recognized it as one of the Akimichi family's special pills. This particular one was to combat all manner of gastric ailments from upset stomach to heartburn and nausea. He threw back his head and swallowed the pill, and they all watched as it took effect. After about twenty seconds, Chouji relaxed considerably.

"Well," Asuma said, "I have to get going. Gotta meet with Hokage-sama about a few things that will deal with next week's mission. I expect you three to train between now and then." Ino stuck out her tongue at her former sensei, who gave her a lopsided grin in return. They all knew that he was the laziest person they were acquainted with next to Shikamaru, and hardly ever trained, himself, now that he was at the Jounin level. Chouji gave Asuma a little salute, and Shikamaru just grunted. Soon after Asuma's departure, they all got up to disperse, Chouji full, Shikamaru half-asleep, Ino annoyed, and Naruto's pocketbook considerably lighter.

Ino and Naruto walked together, talking of various things, from why Chouji eats so much to how Shikamaru can be so lazy, and why the devil did he always wear his hair like that? It was because of that question from Naruto that Ino developed a devious plan. "Well, I don't know, Naruto. I couldn't say, really. He's worn his hair in that stupid ponytail for as long as I've known him."

The boy blinked rapidly. "You mean that you've never seen it any other way?" Those big blue eyes held such innocence that Ino was almost sorry to do this…almost.

Shaking her head and replying offhandedly, she said, "Nope. Not once. Sort of like Iruka-sensei, isn't it? I mean,_ he_ never takes his out either."

Naruto made a dismissive wave of his right hand. "Nah, I've seen Iruka-sensei without his hair up…plenty. I've been to his place overnight to watch bad kung-fu movies, and we eat ice cream and ramen and goof off. He looks kinda like a girl when it's down…but just a little. Not a pretty girl or anything. Just a girl." Naruto was starting to blush a little, because it was obvious that he was verbally digging himself a nice, deep hole, and there was no hope of him getting out of it without some help.

Ino nodded, dismissing his comments to his usual brainless behavior. Three years training with one of the world's greatest ninjas surely hadn't smartened him up at all…or at least so it seemed. "Ne, Naruto?"

"Hm?"

"Do you ever still play pranks?" Her blue eyes glanced over at him covertly through her hair, and he made a non-committal noise. "Not like…painting faces on statues and yanking down Konohamaru's pants. Nothing like that. I mean ones that require cunning and skill; that if you pull them off, those who are pranked develop a respect for you that they never had before. You ever do those?" She had hooked her bangs behind her ear, and was staring at him now with such earnest (yet completely fake, somehow) curiosity that there was no way that he could have resisted, even if he knew that she was playing him like a finely tuned biwa.

They were now stopped in the middle of an empty street, not two blocks from the Yamanaka Flower Shop, and Ino was starting to wonder if this was the right place to talk about this. She waited, nonetheless, for his answer. She couldn't exact her revenge on Shikamaru without a patsy, and Naruto was the perfect patsy. Innocent, nice, and you would never suspect that he would ever do anything like what she had planned. He blinked slowly at her, digesting the requirements that she had just listed, and then smiled sheepishly. "No, Ino-chan…I can't say that I have. Sounds like a good test of my newly acquired top-notch ninja skills, though!"

Ino's lips curved into a cat-like grin. "Does it now?" When he nodded, she looped her arm through his, and gently tugged him forward. "Come with me, then, o Master of Pranks. I have a challenge worthy of your expertise." A confused look washed over Naruto's finely placed features, but he complied. _Hook, line…sinker. _Ino thought, and then she wondered if it was really fair to manipulate him in this way.

Then, she just forgot all about it when she remembered what Shikamaru's shadow had done to her earlier in the week.

* * *

_The early morning breeze blew in through the partially open window, rustling the curtains and bringing to her nose the scent of the flowers in the greenhouse next door. Ino lay in bed still, even though her alarm had been silenced twenty minutes earlier. The great thing about having Shikamaru for her immediate superior was that she barely ever got up any earlier than 7:45 am, and that's the way she liked it. This morning, though, he and Chouji were late._

Suddenly, she felt as if something were slithering up her leg. Waiting to see a snake, she looked to her lower half, and in that instant, the black thing making its way toward her torso moved with lightening speed, jabbing her in the shortribs, and tickling her mercilessly.

"Gyaaaaaah!" she squawked, and the shadow (for that was truly the nature of the thing) retreated back out of the window. "Shikamaru! You're dead!" Flying around her room, Ino threw clothes on, washed her face, and quickly made herself presentable before hurrying down the stairs and out of the door to slap Shikamaru across the face. It was actually rather gratifying, but not enough. 

* * *

She sat on her stool behind the counter, waiting for his response. "Well?"

"Well what?" Naruto groused, leaning on a cooler, "That's the dumbest prank in the world."

One blonde eyebrow rose, and Ino smiled sadistically. "Oh, you_ think_ it is. But that's where you would be wrong. This is the best prank that can possibly be pulled. It's not just any old joke. This is a _jounin level_ shinobi we're talking about, and Shikamaru is also a genius." When he seemed unconvinced at the validity of the joke, she threw in, "Oh. I get it. You're scared you won't be able to outwit him, right?"

"Who said I was scared?" There was a heavy undertone of indignation in Naruto's voice, and his sapphire-blue eyes were darkened with sudden anger. Ino had to be careful now. Handling him when he was like this was a prickly situation, and she didn't want to have him do anything rash. Yet.

"Naruto, I wouldn't blame you, really. Like I said, he's smarter than you and me combined, and I think maybe he's smarter than even the Hokage, so—"

"Are you saying that I'm _stupid_?" The leather of his sandals creaked as he shifted, muscles obviously tensing as his anger swelled. "Ino, I'll have you know that I am not as dumb as you might think. Three years I've been gone…and not all of it was just to train my body." Tapping his temple, he said, "This got quite a workout, too."

Now Ino was laughing on the inside. He was playing right into her hands, the poor thing. "Well, then…perhaps you wouldn't mind making a little bet?"

Suspicion filled his gaze as he said, "What _kind_ of bet?"

Ino smirked. "I bet you…twenty credits that you can't pull, break, or otherwise destroy or remove Nara Shikamaru's ponytail. He'll eat you alive."

"Oh, _yeah? _Well…" he shoved himself off of the cooler (which held roses) and leaned toward her, his face mere inches from hers. If this was what it was like when he got angry, then Ino thought Sasuke must be really strong. She was about to wet herself. There was something in the back of Naruto's eyes that told of a wild, less than civilized part of his personality just begging to be let loose. "Well," he said more calmly now, putting Ino even more on her guard, "_I_ bet _you_ that I can do it in three days. Double or nothing."

"Ha! Even if I gave you a whole _week_, you still couldn't do it."

"Could too! But I'll do it in three days."

"Whatever. You can't."

He pressed his face close to hers, his nose brushing against hers, and his breath warming her skin. Ino got a strange prickly sensation in her stomach that she didn't understand. Naruto's voice came out deadly calm. "Then I accept the bet and counter it with mine. Forty credits says I can get rid of Shikamaru's rubber band in no more than seventy-two hours." One slender eyebrow rose, and Ino blinked at the self-satisfied expression he had. Two pairs of blue eyes met, clashed, and held each other, a battle of wills ensuing. Neither gave ground, and neither would, as they continued to stare at one another, their noses touching, and Ino growing more uncomfortable by the second as that prickly feeling spread. "Well? What's your answer, Ino? You gonna back out now?"

"No! I just…" What the hell? How did she suddenly become so inarticulate? Was she getting sick? No, that wasn't it. It was that stupid feeling in her stomach. It just wouldn't go away, and the longer he stayed bent down toward her, the more intense it became. It was making her want to do something, anything to make that feeling go away. "F-Fine," she finally bit out, her body trying to lurch forward, but she caught herself just before her forehead bumped his. Naruto's face took on a sly look as he made his exit, the tense air in the room dispelling. Ino sighed in relief before picking up a paper fan and using it to soothe the flush that her face had taken on. She really was not used to the close proximity of really pretty boys (more's the pity, since they came into the shop quite often).

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**A/N:** There's the first chapter. I figured that the Prologue was a bit of a teaser, and maybe too much so. In any event, I hope you understand a bit more from this. Let me know what you think! 


	3. Chapter 2: Day 1: A Kunai Can't Cut It

**A/N: **Did I leave you guys in enough suspense? Hehe. I'm glad to see that so many of you are enjoying it. Please, take the time to review. I'm anxious to see what you think! After all, I worked especially hard on this story. Anyway, here's the second actual chapter. It was hard to write, because I started trying to do it as a comedy like the other two before it, which wasn't really working. So, from here on out, it's gonna get darker. Sorry if that puts some of you off. Oh, and _Ichiban_ means "number one".

**Warnings:**

FL--Foul Language

**Legal Stuffiness:** I do not own Naruto, or any of the characters therin. Kishimoto Masashi, sole proprietor.

* * *

How long was he going to sit up there? Really, he'd been there for close to two hours, and Naruto was going stir-crazy, lying on his stomach, chin resting on his forearm, and a small mirror poised at the very edge of the water tower. Shikamaru had not moved from the spot he plunked down in, and he just kept on watching the clouds with this creepy little smile on his face. Naruto had to remind himself why he was doing this: to get forty credits from Ino.

But were forty credits enough to pay for his sanity? He had to treat this like a mission, but even if he were on a real one, he would have leapt into a direct confrontation, rather than trying a new approach. He got the idea from oh, three years ago when Gai-sensei no baka had used his hitai-ate to look into the hallway (which was the cause of him drop-kicking Jiraiya in the face…poor old pervvy Sannin…). Instead of being a dummy like Gai-sensei, Naruto decided to do it the right way. He had run home to get a few small mirrors and other surveillance equipment before tracking down Shikamaru.

The lazy bum had been slinking around the Hokage tower for a little while before moving on to the Academy to have a brief talk with Ebisu (stupid closet pervert…) and then going to the roof of the hospital where he would remain undisturbed for the next two and a half hours.

And now, Naruto was getting restless. He huffed silently, waiting for Shikamaru to move. Nothing. _I could so be training right now. I could be planning how to get Sasuke-bastard back. I could be eating ramen. Anything, that doesn't involve just laying here. I'm going bat-shit crazy! _He was, really. Shikamaru hadn't moved. At all. The lazy jounin had not so much as shifted his weight. Naruto's fingers itched as his small store of patience and even more miniscule reserves of self-control ran out. His feet began to twitch, and his body tensed.

"Gotta _do_ something…" he whispered. He needed action. Naruto was unused to being still for so long. And to be utterly honest, he hadn't been this quiet since he had learned to speak. Ever. So what was he to do? For a long moment—which seemed much longer than it actually was—he thought. What could he do that would be fast and effective?

Suddenly, and with almost frightening clarity, Naruto got an idea. He got an aweful, wonderful idea. Quietly, he unsnapped his weapons holster. The faint sound of metal sliding on leather met his ears, but he was sure that Shikamaru would not have heard him. From the pouch near his kidney, he pulled a coil of wire. One end of this wire was twisted around the ring hilt of his kunai, and once he'd done that, he poked his head over the edge of the tank.

Shikamaru was still sitting there, staring off into space, facing Naruto's right. He took a deep breath and gathered all of the wire into one hand, his blade in the other. It was all he could hope for that this didn't cut off the other boy's hair. Shikamaru would look pretty strange with short hair, and Naruto was certain that even for someone as lazy as his current target, he wouldn't exactly appreciate it if his plan failed and removed most of his ponytail along with the rubber band that held it.

But, that was why he'd decided on attaching the wire: so he could pull back the blade before it cut too far. "Here goes nothing," he whispered, and flung the kunai down at Shikamaru, gripping the wire tightly. His hand jerked back at precisely the right moment, and he felt the blade slice through something. Unfortunately, it only nicked the band, the ponytail holder staying in by virtue of the thinnest of threads.

Naruto began to panic as Shikamaru started to turn toward him. Deciding quite quickly that it was time to beat a tactical retreat, the blonde disappeared in a blur of orange and black. "Damn it…he moved just a little at the very last second!" he growled as he came to a stop in front of his apartment. "Time to regroup."

* * *

Shikamaru reached up, grasping the rubber band in his hair. He yanked up on it, feeling it snap. "Tch," he groused, "And I don't have any with me…" Annoyed, he pulled out a short leather strip, tying his hair into a rather messy ponytail. It would have to do for now. Until then, he needed to know why he was being followed, and why Naruto apparently was trying to take target practice on him.

It could be a new kind of training. It could be a prank. It could also be the result of being Naruto. That was altogether possible. The blonde boy had always been rather unusual. Shikamaru could remember him getting the crap kicked out of him when he accidentally got pushed into that Uchiha bastard. Had he been more energetic, Shikamaru would have laughed at the situation. What had been obvious to him (but not anyone else at the time) was that Naruto was not happy with being thought of as less than Uchiha Sasuke. Shikamaru had watched from the back row as Naruto jumped up onto the desk.

The blonde had shoved his face into Sasuke's, examining him as closely as possible to find out what was so special about him. To be honest, Shikamaru didn't understand what people liked about him, either. His personality reminded the lazy young man of a particularly ornery horned toad with a tendency to be a wet blanket. What was most interesting, though, was the way Naruto's face looked. It was like he was trying so hard to find something…anything there to justify _himself_ as being better than Sasuke. His eyes had been narrowed, blue obscured by golden eyelashes, and his mouth scrunched up into a tight pout.

It wasn't quite laughable. What was it, then? One might say that it was pitiful, especially when someone fell onto Naruto. That sent him falling onto Sasuke, lips first. The entire room had held its breath, except for Shikamaru, who was too busy watching Naruto's reaction. Everyone else seemed to be interested in the way Sasuke responded, but Naruto's facial expressions were always so much more fascinating. His eyes had widened, and his body had tensed. Then, as if on cue, both boys jumped back at the same moment, spitting and cursing, with Naruto yelling about being poisoned.

Shikamaru's lips curled into a smile. That had been rather funny. What must it be like to have something like that happen to you? No one had ever felt the need to do anything to him that was quite of that nature, because Shikamaru had made it a point never to bother anyone to such an extent. Had he been sitting in Sasuke's seat that day, what would he have done? It wasn't as if he could really say. Naruto had never really done anything wrong to him, so he didn't hate him like many of the others seemed to. But would he have gasped and jerked away as Sasuke had…from surprise?

Revulsion would not have entered into it. There was little that actually repulsed the lazy young man, and he couldn't say that Naruto was one of those things. Now that he was thinking about it, he probably wouldn't have acted the way Sasuke had. It was too much trouble, and far too embarrassing. Certainly it would have been easier to simply sit there, and when Naruto righted himself, just blow the whole thing off?

As he rose from his seat, he smiled again. No, he would not have reacted the way the Uchiha seemed to deem necessary. While Shikamaru was no expert, he would have said that those two were actually less different than they liked to admit. This opinion was, of course, affirmed when the two boys became almost inseparable. Well, it went under the guise of rivalry, and annoyed resignation at being forced to work together…but for someone of Shikamaru's intelligence, it was completely obvious that it was nothing of the sort.

Those two idiots loved each other more than teammates should. That was the only thing that could account for the fact that Naruto stubbornly insisted upon finding a way to bring him back. This too had an excuse. The blonde had made a promise to Sakura to bring back their teammate. But…Naruto was not so naïve. There was a kind of cynicism that lurked beneath those blazing blue eyes that told of years of hard experience. And it was that which told Shikamaru that Naruto was well aware that his plans might fall apart. That his promise may very well go unfulfilled, broken.

Shikamaru never made promises. It was easier that way. No one got hurt, and no one hurt him.

* * *

"Shit…" Naruto growled, thinking hard. He sat at his kitchen table, sharpening three new kunai. Shikamaru had seen him. It was as certain as his favorite ramen flavor was miso. What he didn't understand was why the other boy had not retaliated. From what he knew about him, Naruto would not say that Shikamaru would just take this lying down. Well…maybe he would (literally speaking), but he wouldn't just let him get away with it.

In any event, he needed a better plan. He was starting to get curious, anyway. Shikamaru was an interesting guy. When they'd tried to get the bastard back that one time, he had been an excellent leader, even if _he_ thought he screwed up. Naruto was amazed by how smart the other boy was. He had seen his fight with that Temari girl a few years back…and it was actually pretty cool some of the things he had thought up. The use of shadows, incorporating the environment, the hole Naruto had made in his earlier fight; it was all brilliant.

Not for the first time, Naruto wished that he were as intelligent as Shikamaru. What he had told Ino was not a lie. Jiraiya had made him think. He'd been made to read a lot of books—and not just porn, either—while he was away. But Naruto couldn't help but think that if he were naturally smarter, then he could have thought of a way to get Sasuke back, that time in the gorge outside Orochi-bastard's hideout. That was one of his worst habits: second-guessing himself. While his outward appearance was one of high self worth and great confidence, there was always that nagging doubt.

What if? What if he had done something different? Said something different? What _could_ he have done or said?

Nothing.

He did actually realize that. As he was, there was absolutely nothing he could do to bring back his best friend, who was turning into a major pain in the ass for not only him, but also the village as a whole.

Maybe, when this bet was over, he could ask for advice? Hell, it would be better than stalking Iruka in the Missions Office. Naruto smiled, laying down the kunai that was now razor sharp. It would be nice to pick Shikamaru's brain. Maybe they could even get to be friends? Not that they were enemies, but Naruto didn't really have time in all of his training to really make friends.

A sigh escaped him as he stared at the dull, almost otherworldly reflection of his face in the blade of his kunai. He suddenly felt very, very alone. Blue eyes roved over the objects arranged in an almost obsessive-compulsive way over the surface of his small table. The weapons all gleamed, their oiled blades winking in the dim light cast by the single naked bulb overhead. Fourteen kunai, thirty-six shiruken. Two rolls of garrote wire, one short-bladed sword. Twenty-six caltrops, and two bundles of senbon. These were the things that he carried every day. These: his weapons, his duty, his obligation.

Again, he sighed.

Naruto pulled off his hitai-ate, fingers fumbling at the knot that had so diligently held it onto his head. Folding the black cloth underneath it, he placed it in the empty space between the garrote wire and the sword. The green cloth beneath all of these implements brought out their stark beauty. He realized that this was the only beauty in his life…the beauty of those things that kill. Closing his eyes, his head fell into his hands, and he sat, trying to hold back the tears.

* * *

There was a tree. It was tall enough. Hands stuffed into pockets, slouching as usual, Shikamaru walked lazily up its trunk. The third floor window that he was decently sure was Naruto's would be within sight, and it would be no large feat to see within. Indeed, as he settled himself onto the rough bark, concealed within the greenery of the tree, he had a perfect view of the sadly small apartment.

It seemed to be one of those single-room affairs, with only a tiny kitchenette, and the rest a multi-purpose sleeping, eating, and living space. There was no second door, telling of a communal bathroom for each floor of the building. Naruto's apartment was much cleaner than he had expected. The futon was neatly folded and stashed in the corner, under the television set stand. A loveseat (no doubt used for a couch) was in the opposite corner. He found the owner of the residence seated at the small, apparently rickety table. The surface of it was covered in weapons.

Shikamaru's keen eyes picked out the logical order of the equipment, the care with which they had been maintained (noted by the sharpening stone and oil cloth), and the neatness of their arrangement. This was, indeed a different Naruto. He still had his pranking tendencies, it seemed, but the boy that sat in the lone chair was not the one he had goofed off with in the Academy.

Naruto's elbows rested on the table's edge, his hands covering his face. There was a slight tremble in his shoulders. It didn't take a genius to figure out that he was crying. Being now at the Jounin level, Shikamaru was aware of Naruto's…situation. This was not to say that it put him off of being the boy's friend. If anything, it simply made him more astonished that Naruto was able to live life as he had for so long. The fact that he _had_ simply showed that he was a very strong person. That he could do so, and _smile_ all of the time was just amazing. There were days when Shikamaru couldn't remember how to smile, let alone accomplish such a thing.

But the golden-haired young man certainly was not smiling now. No, he was pouring his sorrow—whatever that might be—out into his own hands, with nothing but cold steel to comfort him. It occurred to Shikamaru that perhaps this was what Naruto's life had _always_ been like, and that thought chilled him. For someone to live a life of such loneliness, surrounded by those that hated him, and yet somehow still love the place he was living…there was no way that Shikamaru could ever be half so strong. He felt a swell of pride in his heart that there was such a person in his home village.

Presently, Naruto rose from his seat. He began speaking to himself, scrubbing the tears from his face with the sleeve of his jacket, and then he started pacing. Eight steps, turn. Eight steps, turn. Eight steps, turn. Shikamaru was getting tired just looking at him. But then again, he always had. Naruto constantly had more energy than anyone should. That hyperactivity made him more annoying than most people. Until you knew _why_. Shikamaru could see through all of the smiles now. He could see through all of the bravado, the brash claims toward greatness that was almost certainly out of reach.

Why was Naruto Konoha's _Ichiban_ Hyperactive, Unpredictable Ninja?

Now that Shikamaru had observed him in his natural environment, he understood that the answer to that question was very simple: because it was the only way he could stay sane. If he allowed it to get to him, he would crack. He would fail, and he would become less than the dead last that people thought he was. His life would be a lie, and all that he worked for would be meaningless. Intellectually, Shikamaru could understand this.

As a human being, he was rather at a loss. He had come from a home with a family. While his mother might be a bit…domineering, and his father an overly-chivalrous lay about, family was something that the lazy young man knew that he would be very upset if he lost. But to never have had it in the first place? For all that might possibly take him in and care for him to despise him, simply because he was a reminder of how the village's hero died? Just like Sandaime, Shikamaru believed that Naruto was a hero as well. It was by his life that the village could live on, and that should be respected, not reviled.

The pacing continued, growing more and more frantic, until Naruto collapsed into the loveseat next to the window. Blue eyes shut as he leaned his head back, resting it against soft cushions. This motion bared Naruto's throat, a position that showed how out of his guard he really was. The blonde boy was never any less than alert, so Shikamaru found this new side of his fellow ninja to be fascinating.

It was not long before he saw Naruto removing his jacket, and letting it slip to the floor. He now sat in his shirtsleeves, eyes staring unblinkingly at the ceiling. The most unusual thing about this situation—aside from the fact that he was spying—was that Naruto had not smiled once in the entire half hour Shikamaru had been watching him. This private face he had, quiet and solemn, seemed much more true.

There had to be something going on that Shikamaru didn't know about. He'd never done anything to deserve Naruto's pranks. This boy was not one that would attack him for no reason and then run away. He would find out. Soon.

* * *

As Shikamaru was slipping from his tree branch to land on the ground in a crouch, Naruto was rising from his little couch, a newly formed resolve hardening in his mind. "Small steps, Naruto." He said this softly to himself, thinking of all of the things that had to happen before he could be good enough to take Sasuke back. And he _would_ take him back. All he needed to do was finish his training, and this stupid bet with Ino.

* * *

Ino sat in her family's shop. It was a dreadfully boring day after Naruto had gone. Nothing ever seemed to happen in that place. Until, that is, the door came banging open. To her everlasting surprise, her teammate, and the object of her wager with Naruto walked in the door, hands stuffed in his pockets and his shoulders slumped more than usual.

Shikamaru slinked over to the counter, and his eyes rose from the floor, fixing her with a gaze that was more intense than she'd ever seen. "Ino, you need to call Naruto off."

"Excuse me?" she asked, her mouth hanging open.

His stare became blank. "You heard me."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I—"

A wave of Shikamaru's hand dismissed her lie. "Don't think you can fool me, Ino. You know you can't."

As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. There was never a time when she could have pulled the wool over his eyes. Sighing, she said, "Fine. You got me. But I can't tell him to stop now."

One of those thin, shapely eyebrows rose, and his voice became irritated. "And why is that?"

"He said it was a promise." Ino said this with a tone of finality, and Shikamaru winced. He knew as well as she did that when Naruto made a promise, he followed through with it, unless…say…someone became a power-hungry avenger from Hell and tried to kill him by punching a hole in his chest with a lightening-charged fist. "So, you have two choices. You can either let him try his best to do what he's trying to, or you can hide for three days."

Shikamaru looked confused for half a second. "What's he trying to do, Ino?"

Her arms crossed under her breasts, and she scratched at the fishnet over her left elbow. "He's going to try to either destroy or pull your ponytail holder." Again, Shikamaru's eyebrow rose.

"All he needs to do is ask."

Ino blinked rapidly as he turned on his heel and walked out of the shop. Really? All Naruto had to do was ask him to take his hair down? If Ino had known that, then she would have tried it years ago. In spite of the fact that this bet was made purely to annoy the hell out of her teammate for his method of waking her up, she was rather curious to see him without that stupid rubber band in his hair.

* * *

**A/N:** Oh, how is it? I hope you guys aren't too disappointed that it won't be a comedy. I figured out early on that there was a problem with making it happy. This is not a very common pairing, and for it to work, I had to go about it in a different way. 


	4. Chapter 3: Day 2: The Obsession Begins

**The Rubber Band Odyssey**

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Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or any of the characters therein. Kishimoto Masashi, sole proprietor.

* * *

**A/N: ** Hey you guys! It took me a while, but here's the next chapter! Hope you like it. The only bit of stuff I have to tell you is that 'gaki' means "kid". And...this is where it starts really getting a bit more introspective. Thanks so much to all of those that have reviewed! I am very glad that you all like this so much as you do. Read on, and don't lose faith in our boys!

* * *

**Chapter 3:** Day Two…The Obsession Begins 

_Aiiiiiiiiiiiiiyaaaaaa! _

"Ugh…" Who was it that had talked him into getting that alarm clock? It yelled at him to get up in the morning. And it was something different every day…he reached out from under the covers, his hand grasping the offending piece of electronic equipment. It took a split second for it to go sailing across the room. The problem with this _particular_ clock was that the manufacturers had built it to be thrown. It hit the wall, and bounced, since it had a rubber casing, flying back in his direction. The annoying yell had stopped (thank God); so he caught it, and placed it roughly back onto the floor next to his futon. The time was now 7:45 am.

The next order of business was to get up and ready himself for the day. "Only forty-eight hours left." Scrubbing his hand through blonde spikes that had somehow become wilder during the night, Naruto levered himself up from his prone position. The place looked the same as it had the night before: empty. Sighing, he stood, mechanically folding the futon and his blanket, putting away his sleeping hat—now getting to be a bit too snug—and then opened the door to his apartment, bathrobe in hand.

Down the hall and to the right, there was the bathroom. This room had three shower stalls, six toilets, and a long bank of sinks. Naruto went to the first sink and turned on the cold tap. For a long moment, he allowed the water to run, getting the brown gunk out. Once it was no longer brown, and smelled clean, he brushed his teeth. Done with that, he slipped his toothbrush and tube of toothpaste into the pocket of his robe before hanging it up on the peg outside the second shower stall. There was a stack of towels that were actually clean positioned outside the stall, and he took one, draping it over the stall's wall.

The water took a whole five minutes to warm up, during which Naruto took off his pajamas and put them next to his towel. Stepping into the now lukewarm spray, he wet his head, and used the small bottle of shampoo he had in the pocket of his robe to wash it to spiky golden perfection. Now satisfied by the state of his hair, he reached for the small plastic box on the floor that had come from the same pocket as the shampoo. This he used to wash the rest of his body, during which he allowed his mind to wander.

Several subjects passed through his head. First, of course, as always, was getting Sasuke back. But that thought only made him more depressed for some reason. Even with the amazing training program that Kakashi had come up with, was it really possible for him to bring that bastard back? He closed his eyes. In the warmth of water surrounding him, he felt it again. He could _feel_ the way the pain had exploded in his chest as Sasuke's hand entered, searing, tearing, ripping. Just below his heart, in a non-lethal spot. Somewhere deep inside the dark-eyed boy, he knew that there was a heart that Sasuke was trying his best to kill.

He had said, "to sever all ties." He had told them that he didn't care.

Naruto knew that he had lied. Lied through his teeth, and looking him right in the eyes. Had he been skewered by the sword Sasuke pulled…he didn't think it would have hurt any worse than the look in those dark, bottomless eyes. Naruto only ever got in his way. That was what the look in his eyes said. It told him that there was only one reason why he felt Naruto had to be dealt with. Naruto was the only thing keeping him. He was the only thing. He held him down, and held him back. Sasuke couldn't ever be good enough to gain his revenge. Not with Naruto around.

In the warm water, Naruto couldn't tell if he was crying or not. That was all right with him. If it really would make Sasuke feel any better, he would gladly have let him kill him. But there would always be that little piece of Sasuke that would still be human. That piece wouldn't let him get off so easily. And so, Naruto fought. If for nothing else, he would fight for that little piece of Sasuke that would always be good. That one bit of him that would always belong only to him. His resolve strengthened with that thought. His reflections then shifted from one task to another.

He had less than forty-eight hours to pull off his little feat with Shikamaru. Since his kunai didn't work, he was pretty sure that he could rule out ranged attacks, especially since that was more Shikamaru's forte. Iruka always said that he should play to his strengths. What was he good at? A short list formed in his head.

1.Eating ramen  
2.Taijutsu  
3.Rasengan  
4.Kage Bunshin no Justu

Ramen…that sounded good right about now, but he needed a plan before breakfast. Taijutsu wouldn't work. Even if Shikamaru was lazy, he was a Jounin, and he'd probably kick Naruto's ass. _Rasengan_ wasn't even an option. That was not to be used unless it was a dire circumstance. That left his signature jutsu. When his eyes opened, he was facing the pale green tile of the back wall of the shower stall. A plan was now forming in his head, but this was going to take a few hours of preparation.

Ino would be paying him forty credits soon enough.

* * *

"Okaasan?" Shikamaru said hesitantly, approaching her in the kitchen.

"What?" she asked, her crabbiness abating at the tone in his voice. There were very few times when the woman was actually sweet, as his father had claimed her to be, but she could be tolerable when she wanted to be.

He leaned on the wall next to the stove, where she was preparing their breakfast. How was he to phrase the question? Really, she was old enough to remember without needing clearance, so she might very well be one of those that hated Naruto. Well, he wasn't really one to beat about the bush, since it took too much effort. "What do you think of Uzumaki Naruto?"

Her eyes widened. "Why?" That was a tone he knew well. It was the one that told him he had better be explaining himself thoroughly, or he would end up wearing the porridge that was bubbling in the pot over the gas flame. "Why are you asking me about that rambunctious gaki?"

"Just…I don't know. I think that he's a good kid. Not like he deserves to be treated like he is. You know?" Shikamaru looked up from the spot he'd been watching on the kitchen table. It was annoying, but he had to try pretty hard to keep from blushing under his mother's scrutiny. She was examining his face with something like clinical curiosity. Then, she gave a little half-smile.

Tapping her spoon on the pot, she huffed a bit. "I was wondering when that spine of yours would start to form."

"What did you say?" He asked, his confusion rising.

Waving the wooden spoon around in a sweeping arc, the woman gestured, taking in about 180º of the room. "Everyone thinks one way. Doesn't mean you have to. I'm glad that you finally started thinking for yourself. Now, sit down and eat your breakfast." For once, when given an order, he refused to do what his mother said. "What? Didn't you hear me, Shikamaru?"

"I did. And you didn't answer my question."

She sighed, but put her hands on her hips and said, "I think that Naruto is good at heart. He just needs to calm down. And he needs to find a nice _girl_. That Uchiha is not good for him." Shikamaru was surprised. His mother paid much closer attention to interpersonal dynamics than he thought. Casting a sidelong glance at him, her lips curving slightly, she said, "But, if he found a nice _boy_, then I suppose that it would be just as well. Do we really need more of him running around?" Laughing slightly, Shikamaru sat down at the table, and his mother spooned a bit of the porridge into a bowl for him.

"I don't suppose that it would be a good thing if Naruto reproduced, no." Shikamaru's thoughts took his mind off of the fact that his breakfast tasted like shoe leather, and for that…he was eternally grateful. There was one thing he could say about Naruto: he was good to get your mind off of things.

* * *

Naruto stood on the roof of Ichiraku's Ramen Shop. Ino had said that Shikamaru walked this way every day, and he knew it to be true, since he had seen him a few times, always at the same time. He always went through the back-alleys, and on to wherever it was that he was headed to slack off. Specifically, he was watching the back alley of the shop, where he knew Shikamaru would be passing between 11:58 and 12:00 pm.

Sure enough, at noon, he saw a spiky ponytail coming around the corner. Forming his favorite jutsu, he whispered, "Kage bunshin no jutsu." Five clones of him appeared on the rooftop. In a hushed voice, he said, "Okay. You two, come at him from behind. You guys, from the front. You, from under ground. I'll launch the aerial assault. Ready?" The clones all gave a thumbs-up, and they scattered.

* * *

Shikamaru walked slower than normal. He could feel six chakra signatures, identical to each other, approaching at a fast pace. Halfway through the alley, he stopped, pretending to check the time. Naruto was sloppy. When he felt the first clone grab his legs from below, he made a show of struggling. Four others came from front and back. Another was falling onto him from above. Rolling his eyes, Shikamaru pulled a kunai from his holster, he plunged it into the ground, his legs coming free as there was a puff of smoke. The clone had been killed. Four shiruken dispatched the rest of the clones, just in time for him to intercept the real Naruto, who was falling onto him at a high rate of speed.

As the blonde boy fell, he himself pushed up from the ground, jumping. He took hold of the front of Naruto's jacket with one hand, and the side of his pant leg with the other. Using the momentum of the fall, he flipped Naruto and threw him to the ground, so that he landed one his back. Shikamaru then planted himself squarely on Naruto's chest. His knees held down the boy's shoulders, and he smirked lazily. "Hi."

"Damn it." Naruto growled, eyes flashing.

"What's up, Naruto?" Shikamaru asked pleasantly, "Other than you, that is."

"Shit…let me up, Shikamaru!" Naruto started squirming, his legs flailing. "Come on…can't you take a joke?" When his captive began to get wise, and tried to use his feet to get free, Shikamaru grabbed them before he could make his attack. At the moment, if anyone walked by, they would probably thing this was some bizarre kind of sexual position. That thought made Shikamaru want to laugh. He smiled instead as he filed the idea away for later scrutiny.

As Naruto continued to fight, Shikamaru said, "You keep that up, and you'll make yourself hungry." Pausing in his violent thrashing, Naruto made an inquisitive sound. "Since we are so very close to the ramen shop, would you mind terribly if we had lunch? My treat? After we're done, I'm sure we can go to the training grounds if you'd like to spar." If he thought he had seen Naruto's eyes at their widest, bluest, and most brilliant, he had been wrong. Somehow, they looked so much more…vivid after his offer.

"I…I guess." Naruto's cheeks tinted pink for a moment, and he looked away.

Shikamaru let go of his feet and stood. Then, he offered a hand to Naruto, who refused it, jumping up and dusting himself off as if nothing had happened. As they walked around the building, Shikamaru watched him from the corner of his eye. Naruto was smiling widely. He could tell it was fake.

* * *

Three bowls of miso ramen later (a light lunch, according to Naruto), the blonde was talking animatedly about his training with Kakashi. Hopping up and down on his stool, he said, "And then…it was really cool! Yamato-taicho is awesome! He made a cliff! And a waterfall! Isn't that amazing?"

"Yes, it is. Though, I can't see expending that much energy." Shikamaru lazily ate his noodles. Naruto sighed. How could anyone be so…calm all the time? He was almost too lazy to believe! And to think that someone that barely moved half of the day actually saw through his brilliant plan…then again, it _was_ Shikamaru. He was a genius! Naruto's eyes strayed from Shikamaru to the sky. His belly wasn't _full_ per se, but he was content, and the clouds were pretty. It was a disarming sort of beauty, and he thought that he understood now why the other boy liked watching them so much.

"Ne, Shikamaru…"

"Hm?"

"Why do you watch clouds?" he shifted in his seat, peering around the noren's blue cloth. "I think they're pretty, and that they're nice. All calm-like and peaceful. Is that why?" There was a fluffy cloud that resembled a sheep moving lazily across the sky. It shifted, and looked more like a cat as it became elongated. Naruto looked back to his companion, who had stopped eating his noodles, and was instead watching him with curiosity.

Shikamaru looked up at the sky, following the sheep-cat with his eyes. "No, that isn't it." Laying his chopsticks across the rim of his bowl, Shikamaru pointed at the cloud. "See how it just changed? What do you think it looks like now?"

"A bird. But before…it looked like a sheep, then a cat."

The dark-haired boy nodded. "Yes. The reason I like watching the clouds is because they're something that I have no control over, but I don't really mind. It's a way to remind myself that life flows one way, then another. We just go with that flow." He smiled up at the sheep-cat-bird. "It isn't like I need to relax, right?" Naruto smiled. He thought it was good that Shikamaru had a sense of humor about himself. If you didn't, then you just end up taking life—and yourself—far too seriously.

Though, there was something about his philosophy that bothered Naruto. He never was one to sit back and let things happen. Naruto had always been one to _make_ things happen, and he wasn't going to give that up. "Shikamaru, there's another way to look at this." The genius cocked one of his eyebrows, obviously interested. "You can also say that there is some amount of control over this cloud watching." Turning his face back up to the sky, he pointed at a large, fluffy cloud that had a wispy top. "What do you think that one looks like?"

"Chouji." Naruto smiled at this answer from his friend.

Just so that he could say something different to prove his point—though he did think that it sort of resembled their chip-devouring compatriot—Naruto tilted his head. "I think that it looks like a radish." A grunt from Shikamaru made him look at the young genius. "You see, depending on your point of view, you may see something different. That's why there's a little bit of control. Of course, there will be clouds that always look like the same thing to everyone. Those are like the things you can't control in life, I guess. But for the ones that you and I might see differently…those are the things that I can control, and I plan to keep it that way."

Shikamaru nodded in approval, his lazy smile widening as he regarded Naruto. "I like the way you think." Naruto shifted in his seat, uncomfortable with the way he was being looked at. Putting down some money on the counter, he tugged at Naruto's jacket sleeve. "Come on." Naruto followed, but not without asking where they were headed. "A good spot for watching clouds."

* * *

The trees loomed, casting thick shadows, and had he been anyone else, Shikamaru might have been a bit apprehensive. But the shadows were his friends, and his weapons. He did not fear them. Naruto was walking about a meter to his right, his eyes watching the movement of the trees as the breeze blew them. There was the barest of frowns curling the corners of his mouth downward. The blonde boy seemed lost in thought. What was he thinking of?

A small crease between his eyebrows told of a steely determination. That, coupled with the frown he wore made it obvious. Naruto was thinking of Uchiha Sasuke. It was a little sad, really. Being caught up in things in the past was not a good state of mind. Should he ask Naruto about Sasuke? His curiosity about Naruto was growing, and it was clear that there was much more going on in his head than thoughts of training and ramen. This only served to fuel his interest. "Naruto," he said carefully, "what will you do if you can't bring him back?"

As if by reflex, Naruto barked, "I _will_ bring him back!" He stopped in his tracks, face falling into an expression of anger and annoyance.

Shikamaru sighed, exasperated. "You can't honestly expect me to believe that you have never considered the possibility of failure, Naruto." He said this in a plain, matter-of-fact sort of tone, and Naruto looked away, consternation casting a shadow over his face, and he shoved his hands into his pockets. "I know that you made a promise, Naruto, and I respect that. But there are always disappointments when you make promises." Blue eyes seemed to flicker with some emotion that Shikamaru couldn't place before returning to a strangely inscrutable look. "You…miss him, don't you?" Now, Shikamaru looked away. He examined the trunk of the nearest tree. There was a gnarled bit at the base, and some moss…

"Yes." Naruto's voice trembled.

A faint, sad smile found its way onto Shikamaru's face, and he said quietly, "The clearing is not far now." The rest of the walk was silent. When the pair arrived at the clearing, Shikamaru immediately flopped down on the ground, right in the middle of a patch of soft grass. The smells of grass, dirt, and dried leaves filled his nose as he closed his eyes and breathed deeply. Not long after he settled down, he heard Naruto do the same.

The clouds rode lazily across the sky, covering and uncovering the sun, casting the clearing and the trees into shadow, then bathing it in warmth and light. If there was a heaven, Shikamaru thought that this was what it must be like. He liked this place, but it was rare that he actually got the opportunity to come here. Training, dealing with Ino and Chouji, and going on short missions with Asuma, Kotetsu and Izumo took up much of his time. He didn't need to go onto a roof here: the sky was all around the large clearing, stretching out almost infinitely overhead, since there were no buildings to block his view.

His thoughts were interrupted when Naruto said, "I do think about it. All the time." Shikamaru closed his eyes as the other boy continued to speak. "It scares me. What…what if he doesn't come back? Or what if I kill him? Or if he's already been taken over by Orochimaru, and I _have_ to kill him?" These questions seemed to be pouring out, as if Naruto had long needed to ask them, but had never dared to. "Shikamaru, what should I do?"

There was no way that he could answer, at least not in a way that Naruto would be satisfied with. "You do what you have to." He didn't need to be looking at Naruto to know that he wasn't smiling. No, his blue eyes would be shut tightly, and he would be trying not to think of the possibility that he could eventually kill his best friend. What would he do if he were in the same position? He didn't think that he could kill Chouji. Even if he wanted to, Chouji was a lot stronger than he was. There were times when his best friend could almost break himself out of the _Kage Mane_. But beyond procedural issues, Chouji would never go on a kill-crazy rampage and try to murder him so that he could gain power.

From nearby, he heard Naruto whisper, as if to himself, "What I have to…could I kill him…if it came to that?" Shikamaru didn't want to look at him. Just the tone of Naruto's voice sent a little jolt of pain through his heart, and he didn't want to think of what would happen were he to look into the other boy's face. "I don't know…" he said, and Shikamaru heard grass rustling, and then he saw Naruto sit up. He could see the golden-haired boy's profile. Hair swaying slightly in the breeze, skin seeming to glow from within, and a look of peace settling over his features, Naruto turned to look at Shikamaru. Somehow, the sun caught his eyes just so, making their depths seem to burn. "Thank you," he said before getting to his feet. "For forcing me to be honest with myself…thank you."

As Naruto turned and walked away, Shikamaru looked back up at the clouds. "No…don't thank me. Honesty hurts. Lying to yourself is easier."

* * *

**A/N:** Oh, now what could Shika be talking about? I wonder (wink, wink). 


	5. Chapter 4: Day ThreeI've Had Enough

**A/N: ** Boy, have you guys gotten lazy with the reviews! It makes me all sad inside. Here's the second to last chapter. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I loved writing it. Reading it still brings a little tear to my eye. If you're extra specially good, and review lots, I'll post the last chapter (the one with the smut) soon.

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**Chapter 4: ** Day Three…I've Had Enough

"Nara Shikamaru! Get your lazy bum out of bed! We're supposed to help at the festival!" A groan came from beneath the thick down comforter. His mother's voice was shrill as it thundered up the stairs. He stuck his head out, finding the room to be altogether too bright. With a sigh of resignation, Shikamaru levered himself into a seated position. This was his _day off_, and he hadn't planned on spending it with his parents. He had wanted to hang out with Chouji, and harass Ino. Maybe even see if Naruto could pull out his hair tie…not be his mother's gopher.

"Seems to be my lot in life." He grumbled. Then, louder, he said, "I'll meet you there in half an hour! Need a shower!" Something unintelligible and annoyed came up the stairs, but he took it as an agreement. He went to his closet. There it was, in the back: his festival kimono. It was a dark green, and plain. His mother hand tried to make him wear one that had a print once, but that had not gone over well. Instead, he insisted on something that was at least a little dignified. The narrow obi belt that he wore with it was blue with small white stripes. And then there were the sandals. His feet were going to be killing him by the end of the day.

Glaring at the offending pieces of clothing, he pulled them from the closet and shook them out. _Not too dusty, at least. _ The bathroom that he had all to himself adjoined his bedroom, and he stepped into it. White tile glittered in the fluorescent lights when he flipped the switch. After starting the water in the shower, Shikamaru pulled off his baggy pajamas and threw them into the hamper. Wondering what he would end up doing for most of the day, he stepped into the shower and shut the door.

The water did more to wake him up than his mother's voice had. It was, he thought, much more pleasant to wake up and get clean than it was to be screamed at. He thought at times that her voice would damage his hearing.

He hated the festival. It was loud, annoying, and more trouble than it was worth. And he always ended up with the stupid jobs. Last year, he had to help small children at a game booth. The year before, it had been cleaning garbage out of the bathrooms. That one had nearly made him vomit. Water ran down his face and into his hair, and he prayed that he wouldn't have to do that again.

--

Naruto sat on a rock wall, looking at the people at the festival. He made it a point never to attend any of the celebrations. Even if the villagers were happy and carefree, as soon as he would show his face, they would go right back to being angry, even if they pretended not to be. His presence did that. Sakura had tried to make him go this year, but he escaped just before she was able to get him through the front festival gates. So now he was perched glumly on a high wall in his blue kimono, wooden sandals like the ones Ero-Sennin wore sitting next to him, and he wondered what the festival was like.

Fiddling with the edge of his sleeve, Naruto watched as a mother walked with her children. The two small girls were trying to pull the woman in two separate directions. They were laughing and happy. Naruto smiled sadly. What he wouldn't give to have had that. Not that anyone should get the wrong idea. He had friends. But there had always been something missing. He never had the rough-and-tumble siblings Kiba did, or the nagging mother that Shikamaru always complained of. And he didn't have any aunts, uncles, cousins or grandparents. In fact, even if those people had existed at some point, he had no idea who they were. He'd been told that he was a foundling. That he'd been abandoned, and that's why Yondaime used him. Was that really true, or was it another one of the cruel things that the villagers said? Naruto decided that he didn't want to know. It was easier not to.

--

Shikamaru glared at a man that jostled him as he approached the information tent. His mother sat at the front table. "Ohayo, Okaasan. What am I supposed to do?"

Handing him a slip of paper, she grumped, "It took you long enough." Shikamaru knew better. She was having fun bossing people around. That was easy enough to tell by the smile curling the corners of her mouth.

Smirking, he shot back, "Nag, nag." Shikamaru started walking away before his mother could really start sputtering. As he made his way through the crowd, he looked at the paper he'd been given. Stopping dead in his tracks, he stared at the small, neat handwriting. It read: _Kissing Booth. _ He was _not_ working in the kissing booth. He hated even looking at it. There were always giggling girls all over the place, and they all wanted a crack at you. Asuma worked that booth once, and he had run away screaming when the Hokage tried to kiss him. Of course, that had been a bet between she and Shizune, which she had lost, but still.

Swallowing hard, he thought. Was it too late to skive off? Or maybe he could kill himself? _Yeah, that might work_. No, he was pretty sure that he could somehow get over the emotional scarring of having to kiss girls. Even if they did giggle. Then again…Shikamaru wasn't exactly _popular_. If he was lucky, then no one would want to kiss him, and he'd just end up manning the cash-box. Now that, he could handle.

Upon arriving at the bright red booth, he found that there were not only men waiting to be kissed, but women, as well. Sitting on the stools were Shiranui Genma, Inuzuka Kiba, Yuuhi Kurenai, Haruno Sakura, and Shizune. Swallowing hard, he approached the empty stool next to Sakura. Instantly, Genma began laughing.

"Awww. Poor little Shika's gotta let girlies kiss him? You sure you can afford to use that much energy, Nara?" The elder Jounin twirled his senbon between his fingers, lounging on his stool. Shikamaru made an unintelligible reply and plunked down on the tall stool provided.

Sakura patted his arm. "Don't worry about him, Shikamaru. He's just nervous. I don't think he's had a date in about…what was it, Shiranui-san? Six years?" Genma sent the girl a deadly glare, which she returned with an innocent smile. Shikamaru smiled gratefully at her. Her voice turned a little to the darker side. "Shikamaru, you haven't seen Naruto, have you?"

"Not today, no." he wondered what this was about, but he wasn't going to ask, since there was a large knot of mid-to-late teenage girls giggling nearby, and looking in their direction. He just had to keep reminding himself that this was like community service. It was to keep him in the good graces of two very ill-tempered women: his mother, and the Hokage. The giggling girls were coming closer, and he tried his best not to look annoyed. Off to one side, there was an old man taking credits, and on the table he sat behind were rolls of tickets. Each were a different color. Kiba's were brown, Kurenai's were red, Sakura's were pink, Genma's were blue, Kotetsu's gray, Shizune's white, and Shikamaru's were green. The girls all swarmed around the table, and when the old man had done being harassed, there were three girls holding gray tickets, two with brown, and one with blue. Shikamaru breathed a sigh of relief.

Sakura frowned as she watched Genma kissing a fourteen-year-old girl with green hair. "I'm just kind of worried about him. He's not his usual cheerful self today." Shikamaru didn't say anything. He thought it was better that Naruto actually be true to himself rather than smile all of the time if he wasn't happy.

--

Naruto rubbed at his bottom. It had gone numb sitting up on that stupid wall, and now he had to find a new place to hide, since the old woman whose house was next to the wall actually hit him with a broom to get rid of him. "Old hag…" he grumbled, finding himself standing next to a wooden fence. He could hear the festival on the other side of it. People were laughing, yelling, talking, running. He didn't feel like doing any of those things. He didn't even feel like finishing his bet with Ino anymore.

It wasn't that he wasn't _curious_. He did think it would be interesting to see Shikamaru without that silly ponytail. It was just that after having been around him for a while, he kind of respected him now. And he really didn't want to do that to Shikamaru now that he respected him. Naruto decided that he would just go home. Pushing himself off of the wall with the intent to do just that, Naruto heard a voice from the other side, practically yelling.

--

Shikamaru leaned back. This was getting to be rather entertaining. Sakura was trying to fend off Lee. "I don't care! I'm not going to kiss you that many times, Lee!" The green-clad young man simply stood there, a fist full of pink tickets, and tears in his eyes. Genma was trying very hard not to laugh, but Kotetsu was not even trying. Kiba looked sympathetic. Shikamaru and Kurenai simply watched. The red-eyed woman glanced at him, her smile slightly amused, but mostly, it looked like she felt pity for Lee.

This had the potential for creating more of a spectacle than it already was. He might get smacked for this, but Shikamaru simply didn't care. It would solve the problem quickly.

--

Naruto pulled himself up on the fence, curious. What he saw was not a little disturbing. Apparently, they had set up a kissing booth, and Sakura was one of the workers. In Naruto's opinion, she should have known that Lee would buy a butt-load of tickets. What was really surprising, though, was the fact that Shikamaru was holding her still with his shadow jutsu while Lee gave her kiss after kiss. They were all small, and all on her cheek, but Naruto counted thirty-six of them. Sakura had quieted, and was now standing still without the aid of any jutsus. What Sakura had not seen, and what Naruto did, was that Lee still had one little ticket.

Now, Rock Lee might be awkward, loud, and funny-looking, but what he did next could only be described as _smooth_. In a move somewhat reminiscent of his taijutsu, the boy swept Sakura into his arms, and before she could protest, he had moved her into a dipped position, and lay a kiss on her that Naruto was sure curled her toes. "Daaaay-uhmn…" he heard Genma say, before Sakura was set back in an upright position. Her green eyes were a bit glassy, and when Lee whispered something in her ear, she smiled a little.

"Slick bastard…" Naruto didn't realize he had spoken until a pair of very dark eyes met his. After the initial light of recognition, there was something there that he couldn't really identify, but that he had seen only once before…Naruto's own eyes widened at the little smile that bent at Shikamaru's lips. As long as he had known Shikamaru, he'd only really seen him smile a few times. It was because everything was so 'troublesome', he supposed. Perhaps it was because it was a rare sight, or maybe it was because he was in such a generally dire mood himself, but he got a sudden warm feeling when he looked at that smile. He almost squeaked as he let go of the fence and hit the ground running. It wasn't that he was afraid. He was just…surprised. Yeah, that was it. Shikamaru surprised him.

Naruto's feet took him to parts unknown as he questioned himself. Why was he running? What was he running from? Where was he going? He didn't have any answers. All he had were questions swarming around his brain like bees around a disturbed hive. They ranged from little queries like _what would the festival be like_ to ones of metaphysical proportions such as _why am I here? What the Hell am I doing with my life? _ Those questions entered his mind, ran around, and gathered others until he simply stopped in his tracks in the middle of the forest, holding his head in his hands and groaning.

Everything was so complicated, so annoyingly difficult to deal with…he just wanted it all to stop. What was he doing, training like mad? He had to bring Sasuke back. Why? He promised Sakura. Why had he done that? Because it gave him an excuse to bring Sasuke back. Why did he need an excuse? Sasuke was his best friend, so no excuse should be needed. But he _did_ feel like he needed one. Like he was grasping at straws. Why? Since the previous afternoon, he had been questioning every facet of his life. That was all thanks to time spent with Shikamaru. The dark-haired boy had made him be honest with himself about the fact that he may very well be forced to kill Sasuke. What, if anything would happen after that? Could he allow _himself_ to go on living after murdering the one person in life that he really—

"Naruto." Chakra flaring, Naruto jumped, landing in a defensive position. Shikamaru was standing there, a look of concern on his face. "Are you okay, Naruto?"

He gave the young genius a good wry stare. "Depends on your definition of 'okay', really." There was a familiar light of inquisitiveness in those dark eyes, as if he were trying to solve a particularly difficult mathematical problem. Narrowing his eyes, Naruto took a step back. "Why?" His tone held suspicion.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "You're very troublesome, you know that? Why do you _think_ I would chase you down to ask if you're okay? I was worried. You pretty much fell off that fence, just because I looked at you." That was a statement that Naruto couldn't really refute. He had fallen because of Shikamaru looking, but not for that reason only. It had been the _way_ that he had looked at him. Naruto had only seen eyes like that on one person, and only at one time. That spot below his heart hurt. No, he couldn't allow this. It needed to stop, before he got himself hurt again. Before he drove himself mad.

"Sorry I made you worry." Naruto's voice was dull, and he looked away from those probing eyes. "I have to go…" He sniffled, staving off the tears that were trying to fall. Why was he trying not to cry? What was making him need to cry in the first place? Those were questions he could think about on the way back to his apartment. When he was safely away from Shikamaru. His feet began the walk to the southwest, and he closed his eyes for a moment as he walked. In the darkness behind his eyelids, everything seemed simpler. Maybe he should take up meditation, like Neji did. That guy seemed pretty at peace with the world since he started sitting in high places with his eyes closed…

--

Shikamaru watched as Naruto walked away, and his stomach felt like someone had dropped a brick into it. There was something upsetting the shorter boy, to the point where he apparently seemed unable to function properly. This was a far cry from even the Naruto of yesterday. He seemed…depressed. Once he stopped to think of it logically, Shikamaru realized that it was probably something he had said to the usually chipper blonde that put him in this funk. Deciding to follow him at a safe distance, Shikamaru melted into the shadows of the trees. He needed to make sure that Naruto was really all right. Though he wasn't really sure why, he was certain that he did want to ensure Naruto's physical safety, if not his emotional well-being as well.

Really, he felt that it was his fault. And if there was anything he could do to make it right, he would.

--

It wasn't long before Naruto found himself at his door again. The sounds of the festival were still evident, even in the hallway. That meant that if he were in his apartment, he could probably hear them, too. After fumbling for a moment with his keys, he found the one for his door. The lock disengaged with a sharp click, and he stepped inside, instantly removing his shoes. There was a little dirty spot right next to the door where he always put his sandals, and today was no exception. He put them where they belonged, and then closed the door. As he had suspected, he could still hear them. All those happy people…it was making him nuts. Going to where he kept his small bookshelf stereo, he turned it on, switching the disks until he found one that suited his mood.

The music was brooding: an aria. Somehow, the woman's voice soothed him. It made him feel as if he weren't the only one hurting on this day of celebration. Maybe he should just go to sleep? Tomorrow, the festival would be over, and he wouldn't have to worry about it. Everything would be back to normal: the villagers still eyeing him with thinly veiled hatred. They wouldn't pretend to like him. No one would pretend to be his friend. It was fine with him that they hated him, feared him for what lay deep in the pit of his stomach.

He wasn't _supposed_ to have anyone.

--

Naruto was just standing there, in the middle of his apartment. Just standing. From his perch in the tree, Shikamaru could see the dark cloud of depression and resignation settling itself over eyes that usually shone. It angered him. When the blue-clad boy did move, it was slowly, as if through water. Dexterous hands opened a trunk, and then began removing the blue cotton kimono that Naruto was wearing.

Shikamaru watched as Naruto folded the kimono, obi, and under-kimono, then put them carefully back into the trunk. Now standing in the middle of the floor wearing only his underwear, Naruto was staring down into the trunk at something that Shikamaru could not see. Suddenly, the half-naked young man delivered a vicious kick to the trunk, and it slid backward about six inches, snapping shut. Hands flew to the sides of his head, just as they had in the forest, and Shikamaru saw rather than heard him yelling something. He wasn't that great at reading lips, but he could tell that Naruto had just screamed, _ "Damn you!" _

What the Hell was in that trunk? He watched, horrified, as Naruto fell to his knees. Shikamaru had _never_ seen anyone so tormented. Sure, he had felt like shit when he had nearly gotten Naruto, Neji, Chouji, and Kiba killed, but this…this was different. He had been a leader, stressed over his team. Naruto could only be thinking about Sasuke. It amazed Shikamaru that he could still feel anything but hate for the Uchiha, after all that he'd done. He'd betrayed not only Naruto, but the village as well, and then he'd tried to kill him. Twice. That was not what friends—or anyone who cared about you—did. Back then, when they'd gone to chase him down, Shikamaru had told Naruto that Sasuke was his comrade, and that even though he wasn't his friend, he would go to save him. That assertion, as he watched Naruto rocking forward and back, trying to keep himself from going insane, was no longer true. He hated Sasuke for what he had done.

Contrary to what most people thought, Shikamaru wasn't completely idle. He did his fair share of training, and he was relatively fit. His stamina was as good as that of most Jounin, and he was just as capable. It was just that he didn't care to exercise that ability where others could see. There had to be a damned good reason for him to go out of his way and make an effort. Either he did it for missions, or to annoy the Hell out of Ino. But this was a completely different situation. Whereas he normally would pretend to have followed at a moderate pace and go in through the door, he needed to get in there _right now_.

Shikamaru judged the distance from the branch to the window to be no more than ten feet. He could jump that with ease. The only problem—not truly a problem in his book—was getting the window open. That was what shadows were for. Using the shadow of the tree, Shikamaru's jutsu was able to creep up the side of Naruto's building, and slowly inch the window into an open position.

Luckily, Naruto didn't notice. He was too busy gripping his head and whimpering. After taking a deep breath, Shikamaru dove through the window, and then performed a passable tuck-and-roll, landing in a crouch on the other side of Naruto. Dazed blue eyes looked at him for a long moment through a screen of tears before they actually registered what was going on.

"Shikamaru? What are you doing here?" Naruto asked in shock, his eyes growing impossibly wide. Without saying a word, the intruder rose from his crouched position and moved to the couch, where he plucked up a blanket. Unfolding it, he draped it over Naruto's shoulders before pulling him to his feet.

Gesturing to the sofa, Shikamaru said, "Sit." Naruto did as he was told. That in itself was a measure of just how overcome the boy was. Had he been told to sit—on any ordinary day—by someone who had just jumped through his window, he would normally protest, if not attempt to deliver a physical beating. "Naruto," he said carefully as he sat opposite his friend, "What is it? What's wrong?" Shikamaru was glad that Naruto seemed to be completely ignoring the fact that he had been followed, spied upon, and that he was being comforted by someone who had broken into his apartment and nearly flattened him in the process. As it was, Naruto was so absorbed in his own anguish that he simply answered.

Cobalt blue eyes fixed themselves onto a spot on the floor, and remained there. "I've just had enough, I guess."

"Enough?" _Gentle probing…leave it open for him. Don't push, or he'll shut himself off from you. _ Shikamaru had to be careful. Naruto was in a very delicate state of mind, and if he did anything too harsh, it could be very bad indeed.

"The pretending." Naruto's voice cracked a little, and he took a deep breath. "I'm always pretending. That everything will be okay, that I'm happy…but nothing's okay. Not really. Everything I work for just slips away. Everything I've dreamt of…it's like water. I can't hold on to it!" His eyes squeezed shut. "And everyone else pretends, too. I can see it. In their eyes. They pretend not to hate me. But I know that they do. I can see through them. I can see their hate. I see the fear in the eyes of mothers when I come too close to their children. They see me, but they don't see _me_." Shifting in his seat, Shikamaru gripped at the cloth of his kimono. He had not expected this. He had thought that it had been about Sasuke. But he wasn't finished. Again, Naruto surprised him. "And you know, the villagers…they're not even the ones I really care about. _He_ pretends to hate me. He's the only one that actually doesn't. He just hates everything else. But he's lost to me. He'd just as soon be _dead_ to me. All I have is the hate that I see in the eyes of everyone I know. Which reminds me…"

Naruto's eyes opened, and his head turned to look at Shikamaru. There was ice in his stare. Somehow, that stare clawed at his heart. It was angry, sad, and full of something that Shikamaru could only identify as desperation. "Why are you here, Shikamaru? You're one of them. You hate me too, don't you? Why are you here?"

"I don't hate you."

"Liar." Naruto's brow furrowed, the corners of his mouth turned down. His hands started to make fists.

"Naruto, why would I lie to you? What reason would I have to hate you?"

"Because…" his hand strayed to his stomach. Shikamaru wanted to sigh.

Leaning forward, Shikamaru pulled the blanket aside. Replacing Naruto's hand with his, he applied a little chakra to the area around his navel. The swirl of the Yondaime's seal rose black against tanned skin. Naruto gasped. "I know about it, Naruto. But I knew _you_ first." When he removed his hand, and looked back up at his friend's face, he saw Naruto's eyes, wide with surprise. "I don't care, Naruto. Not about the thing that's inside you."

Naruto jumped to his feet, screaming, "Liar! I can see the fear in you right now! Don't you goddamned lie to me, Nara Shikamaru! You're _scared_ right now!" The blanket fell away from him, revealing that his chest was heaving. His heart was most likely hammering in his chest right at that moment. Shikamaru sighed.

He crossed his arms over his chest. "I'll admit it. I'm scared."

The manic mood Naruto was in seemed only to heighten at Shikamaru's admission. He leaned forward, a triumphant gleam in his eyes as he jabbed a finger in the dark-haired boy's direction, "See?! I knew it! I knew you were—"

"I'm scared for you."

Naruto stopped, his mouth hanging open. "You…what?"

Shikamaru's dark eyes met Naruto's, and held them. "I told you. I'm scared for you." Naruto blinked, confused. "Look at yourself. You're desperate. Do you really think that no one cares about you? That no one could possibly care for you other than someone who is utterly unworthy of your concern? I think you need to open your eyes, Naruto."

"I'm not blind, Shikamaru. I can see—"

"Yes, you can see their fear. But can you see how worried Sakura gets when you're depressed? Can you see how Kakashi stops reading his porn to train you? No. Do you see the way the Hokage looks at you when you're injured? Apparently not. And for another thing, why would I let you get away with attacking me, just so you could win a bet?" Shikamaru was on his feet now, looming over Naruto. He was staring down into bright blue eyes, which were wide, the light of recognition dawning in them. _It's about damned time…_

"You…you _knew_ about it?" Naruto breathed, taking a step back. His rant apparently forgotten, Naruto was simply in shock. Well, Shikamaru couldn't exactly blame him. He would feel completely deflated if he were in the other boy's position.

A satisfied smirk came over his face. Shaking a finger lightly at Naruto, he said mildly, "Correction. I _know_ about it." He glanced at the clock beneath Naruto's television. "According to the time Ino gave me, you still have five minutes." The blonde boy looked at him askance. Taking his hand, Shikamaru placed it on his ponytail.

--

"Here. Go ahead." Shikamaru said as Naruto's eyes widened further, and he stepped closer to give the smaller boy better access to the rubber band in his hair. Naruto was unsure if he should. Did it even matter anymore? He at least knew now that he had those who cared for him…but had he ever really forgotten? The only new information he got from Shikamaru was that the genius was one of those that cared. He had even gone to great lengths to make sure that Naruto knew it. "What are you waiting for?"

"I…" He couldn't get any words out. All he could think about was the fact that there was someone who cared, and that someone was _right here_, able to be reached. Shikamaru was looking at him now in that same way that he had earlier. It was slightly painful to keep looking into those lazy eyes, for some reason. His hand trembled where it rested on Shikamaru's head. Somehow, warmth of body and spirit were radiating off of him, and it only made Naruto tremble more, feeling a bit weak.

In a barely teasing tone, he heard the taller boy say, "Do you need help?" Again, he felt Shikamaru's hand touch his. It was warm, calloused just like his, but slightly larger. That hand grasped his, pushing his thumb under the band securing his hair. "Pull, Naruto." Shikamaru's voice had taken on a quiet, almost smoky tone as his hand fell away. Naruto did as he was told, still looking at Shikamaru's eyes, feeling quite strange.

As the rubber band left his hair, Naruto watched the dark brown mass fall to Shikamaru's shoulders like strands of silk, lit by the sun streaming in from the window. His hand moved on its own, touching a few tresses that had fallen near the side of the other boy's face. "It's so soft…" He didn't realize that he'd spoken aloud until he saw Shikamaru smile. Naruto tried to pull his hand away, but he found it trapped by both of Shikamaru's. "Um…" He was starting to feel a little exposed. After all, he was wearing nothing but his underpants, and Shikamaru was _looking_ at him. "Ineed'aputsomeclotheson!" He blurted, and yanked his hand away before scurrying over to his dresser.

Shikamaru must have been thinking that he was a madman, tearing across his apartment like that…but Naruto didn't want to hang out in his boxers. Not with Shikamaru. Once he'd thrown on a pair of old track pants and a t-shirt, he felt like he could breathe easier. The room seemed a lot smaller when he turned around. Shikamaru looked over his shoulder at him. Remembering the talk he'd had with Ino, he decided that Shikamaru wasn't like Iruka-sensei at all. Unlike their teacher, Shikamaru still looked masculine, even though his hair was longer. But it did have a softening effect. It made his face seem rounder, and his eyes weren't quite so piercing. That didn't mean that Naruto was any more comfortable with the way those eyes were looking at him. On the contrary: he shifted his weight from one foot to the other, looking away. He could feel his cheeks turning red.

Why was he blushing? He wasn't twelve years old anymore…and he wasn't a little girl. What in the name of the Yondaime was happening to him? Naruto was alerted to Shikamaru's movement by the creaky board in the middle of the floor. When he glanced up, he saw that he was staring at a green kimono, which was very close to his face. Tilting his head back so that he could see the face that now looked down on him, he saw Shikamaru smiling. "Is your curiosity satisfied?"

What that meant, Naruto had no idea. He _had_ been somewhat curious, before, as to what Shikamaru would look like with his hair down, and now he had seen it. So, in a way, he supposed that his curiosity was fulfilled. Naruto nodded.

"Good. Now I can satisfy mine." Before Naruto could ask what Shikamaru meant by that, he felt a very warm hand on the right side of his face, and saw the other boy lean down toward him. His eyes grew wide when he felt hair tickling the skin of his face, and lips pressed against his. They were firm, but not demanding, and Naruto's shock only lasted for a moment. Then, the warmth of the other boy's mouth was gone. In its place was a sort of tingle that he didn't understand.

All he could really do was stand there, blinking as Shikamaru looked down at him and smiled. "Um…what just happened?"

"I kissed you."

"Okay…" Naruto mused confusedly, "…why?"

Shikamaru leaned down toward him again, and something started moving around in Naruto's stomach. It was like Shino's insects had suddenly taken up residence there. When the other boy stopped just short of his mouth, Naruto heard him speak. His voice sounded deeper somehow. "I've been wondering…for years now, what that felt like." Years? Shikamaru had wanted to kiss him for _years_? What on earth was going on? There was an odd ticklish feeling on his lips now, as if he could feel Shikamaru's lips on his, but he knew they weren't really close enough for that. "In the classroom that day…that accidental kiss…" Warm breath curled around his skin, sending a small shiver through him that wasn't really unpleasant.

So, if Naruto had it right, then Shikamaru had wondered for three and a half years what it would be like to kiss him? All that time, he was so…_fixated_ that he never even saw. That was almost too sad to contemplate.

Now it was like the other boy was teasing him in some way. Like he was waiting, challenging Naruto by not closing that miniscule gap between them. He hesitated. What if he got hurt? What if Shikamaru didn't really care about him? What if…what if he _did_? All of those uncertainties flitted through his head, trying to make him doubt. After a long moment of listening to those misgivings, he did one of the things he was best at: he just stopped thinking.

It was like something was pulling him. He wasn't sure if it was for comfort, or out of hope that he could somehow have found another person who could love him, but Naruto pushed himself up onto tiptoe, his lips finding Shikamaru's. There was an odd dizzy feeling in his head, which went right along with the one in his stomach, but it was actually kind of nice. Unlike the stories that Jiraiya had made him read, there was no fire in this kiss…only a certainty. It was a promise of sorts. Shikamaru's promise was that he would always be there to give comfort, and maybe even love. Naruto…he promised to keep his eyes open.

--

**A/N:** Remember boys and girls…you must tell me what you think!


	6. Epilogue: OopsWas That Your Underwear

**A/N: **Sorry for taking so long! I honestly forgot that I didn't upload the last chapter. There are some things in this that might put people off. See the warning below. Anyone that doesn't want to read a rather steamy love scene...you might want to pretend that the previous chapter was the end.

Review, guys. It makes me happy.

**Warnings for the faint of heart**

**Y--**yaoi (male/male sexual situation)

* * *

**Epilogue:** Oops…Was that Your Underwear?

They leaned on the side of the house. Naruto was holding his stomach. "Ugh…Shika…I don't mean to be rude. You know I don't…"

The other boy waved his hand. "Hey, it isn't rude if it's true. My 'kaasan can't cook. Everyone knows it. I bet I know what'll make you feel better, though." A smile that was positively _filled_ with mischief pulled at the young genius's lips, and Naruto's face brightened.

"Ramen?" There was this little pouting thing Naruto did with his eyes that Shikamaru simply could not resist, and it didn't take very long for the blonde boy to realize it. When he turned that on, there was no hope for the dark-eyed genius. He merely relented, heaving a little sigh and checking to make sure that he had his wallet. Naruto smiled brilliantly, making Shikamaru's stomach a little light. After two months of seeing that smile on a regular basis, it still affected him more than anything else.

It was the fact that it was a _real_ smile. That had to be it. It was real, and directed at him. Not long after that first day, he had all but ordered Naruto to stop his act of false happiness, if only around him, when they were alone. Of course, that had led to a near knock-down, drag-out fight, in which Naruto all but resorted to using his _Rasengan_, because—as Naruto said—Shikamaru shouldn't ask him to change. But Shikamaru had been quick to point out that he wouldn't be able to make him feel better if he didn't know that something was wrong.

Now, as the blonde ball of sunshine all but bounced ahead of him on the way to the ramen stand, he smiled. It was a small, almost devious smile, but it was his. Shikamaru was dangerously close to falling in love with Naruto, and he wasn't sure how he felt about that. He knew that his father wasn't exactly happy, since he had wanted grandchildren…but his mother had nearly had a fit when the man had suggested he stop seeing Naruto. It had, apparently, been her intention to make it so that they _would_ be together. It was odd for a woman to do that, but then again, Shikamaru's mother was not exactly normal.

Family issues aside, Shikamaru wasn't really the type of guy that had that much to do with the female of the species. He'd always found them to be far more trouble than they were worth, and he was sticking with that opinion. Besides, Naruto was just _his kind _of trouble, anyway. He was too cute for his own good at times, which Shikamaru was starting to think was actually a kind of weapon. It certainly made him give up his side of several arguments. Really, it was the eyes. If he were going to be completely honest with himself, he would have to say that he definitely had a thing for Naruto's eyes.

He didn't know anyone else whose eyes could go from warm to cold to hotter than all the fires of Hell in no time flat, and it was that changeable nature that he found so appealing. That was not to say that he didn't take just a _little_ bit of pleasure in making those pretty eyes change to the hot variety of annoyed. It was, after all, too easy. One way that he could do this was to suggest that Naruto pay for his own ramen. But, as he had learned, Naruto was well aware of his fascination, and used it to his advantage. Therefore he must apply this tool sparingly, and only when he really needed to see that spark of anger.

Shikamaru watched as Naruto plopped down on the second stool from the left. "Ojiisan! Two bowls of miso ramen! One for me," Naruto hooked a thumb at Shikamaru, who had deposited himself onto the stool next to him, "and one for this lazy guy here." Smiling covertly, Shikamaru made his usual terse reply.

"Anyone looks lazy next to _you_," but this was only halfhearted. As previously stated, he said it with a smile, and watched the old man roll his eyes. The daily ritual of ramen for Naruto was truly sacred. And on the rare occasion that he missed one of his observances—such as with the meal Shikamaru's mother had just forced on them—then he had to make it up immediately. He chuckled to himself as he watched Naruto practically bouncing on his stool. The boy never could sit still for very long, and when ramen was involved…it was just hopeless. His smile widened when the bowls were set on the counter. Naruto immediately grabbed a pair of chopsticks and broke them apart.

"Itadakimasu!" the blonde boy chirped, digging in with all of the delight of a two year old being given a chocolate bar. When he was done with his first bowl, and waiting for his second, Naruto turned to Shikamaru. "Ne," he mused quietly, "what do you do with the lunches that your mother makes?" Naruto had been told quite early on that nothing Shikamaru's mother made turned out to be edible—unless one counted the fact that Akamaru found it to be delicious—and yet he nearly always left home with a bento.

The dark-haired boy sipped the broth in his bowl. "I give them to Akamaru. He loves her food."

Naruto sniggered. "Wouldn't she _kill_ you if she knew that?"

"Probably." He drank more of his broth, watching Naruto watching him. Oddly enough, this happened quite often. There was always some kind of staring competition, or he would catch Naruto watching him, just looking. Only, with Naruto, it was never _just looking_. He always seemed to be thinking of something, and it was like the blonde was the only one privy a relatively amusing joke, since every time he did this, there was a tiny smile on his face. It was just a little annoying. This day was no exception. That infuriating little smile was there, and after a few seconds, he stopped drinking his broth. "You're going to have to tell me one day what it is that you find so humorous about my face."

Naruto came close to jumping at that. His eyes widened, and there was a little blush on his cheeks, as if he hadn't realized he was staring and smirking like that. _Bullshit_. There was something going on, and he was going to find out what it was. Even if he had to beat Naruto to a pulp, or tickle him until his wet himself. Actually, the second option seemed like much more fun. Wondering momentarily what Naruto would promise him if he would stop such torture, he almost didn't catch it when the blonde muttered, "There's nothing funny about your face…" before he dug into his noodles with more enthusiasm than before.

There was also a brighter blush on Naruto's cheeks, which led Shikamaru to believe that the boy was thinking of something less than appropriate for lunch. Digesting this information as Naruto did the same thing to his lunch, Shikamaru waited only two more bowls before putting down a random amount of credits and dragging the shorter boy from the counter. It was time to see what made Naruto smirk.

All the way to their own private place—the clearing where they had gone that day to watch clouds—Naruto was mourning the loss of his ramen, and he squirmed in Shikamaru's grip. "Shikamaruuuuuu…" The boy whined, "What is going on? I didn't even get my last bowl finished!" Irritably, the blonde settled himself on the grass next to Shikamaru.

The clouds crawled lazily across the sky. His hands clasped behind his head, Shikamaru watched them, thinking. What was it that Naruto thought about when he smirked like that? Grass rustled next to him, telling him that his companion had stretched out as well. Something weighed down on his shoulder, and he moved his hand from behind his head, feeling soft hair that glowed in the afternoon sun. The next thing he felt was a tickling sensation as his vest was unzipped. Heavy cloth-covered armor slid down his sides, revealing the black shirt he wore beneath. Naruto's head moved to his chest.

It was a steady weight. Naruto's face was angled away from his, so he could not see the way his mouth moved as he said, "Why does this feel so good?" Fingers brushed over the cloth that covered his stomach, causing the mesh beneath to scratch at his skin. Naruto began rubbing his face against his chest. Shikamaru sighed. It did feel good. "I mean…I don't feel sad right now." It was a strange statement, but Shikamaru was decently sure that it was true. He didn't feel anywhere near as lethargic when he was with Naruto, so he supposed that the feeling was mutual.

The warmth of the sun, and the closeness of the body halfway draped over his began to lull him, and Shikamaru's eyes drifted closed, his face relaxing slowly as he drifted off to sleep. Just before sleep took him, he thought he heard Naruto continuing to murmur something, though he was unsure of what it was.

* * *

"Shika?" He asked softly, raising his head. Naruto smiled a little. Shikamaru had fallen asleep. The sun shone down fully on them, and almost seemed to make the sleeping boy's face glow. If he were to really admit his own feelings to himself, Naruto was modestly assured that Shikamaru was very important to him. There was never any worry over being pushed or pressured when he was with Shikamaru. The only thing he had a hard time with was actually being himself. It had been such a long time since he had allowed himself to let it all out: the sadness, anger, the hopelessness.

As he watched the tiny, almost-glistening reflection of the sun off of dark eyelashes, Naruto found that there was an indefinable quality about Shikamaru that made him more special than other people. He was smart, yes, but that certainly was not it. His intellect allowed him to be able to see things that others did not, which was surely a large part of his understanding, but it was really the way he didn't even need to think about it to know when Naruto was sad, or when he was hiding something. But there was no hiding from him. Not for Naruto. He thought that he was going to have a heart attack when Shikamaru caught him looking at him earlier. It was getting more and more difficult for Naruto _not_ to look at him. No matter how many times he did so, he found something new. It was becoming clear now that watching the dark-haired boy's every move was coming close to being an obsession. When he was away the week earlier, Naruto had been training.

He found himself watching the east gate of the city, from which Shikamaru had departed with his team. Every moment that he was not training was spent in deep thought and meditation, but not on what he should have been. The things he was supposed to be thinking of were how to combine certain forms of chakra manipulation with his unique abilities, and getting Sasuke back. But he could not concentrate. His mind kept straying to a different set of dark eyes, and his fingers could almost feel the texture of dark brown hair as it ran through them like water. It had gotten to the point where Kakashi was noticing his lack of focus. While he did want to tell the older man about Shikamaru, he didn't want it to have to be in an argument over his training.

At present, though, he had been instructed to rest. And rest was what he intended to do. He slept so well nowadays that he felt better in general, and he knew that had something to do with the boy he rested his head on. Of course, Naruto could not deny some other things, such as how his face pressed against hard muscle, and the way a little tremble developed under his fingers as he ran his hands over certain areas of Shikamaru's abdomen. His ribs were sensitive, as was the area around his navel. It gave him ideas that were far less than wholesome, and when they came to his mind in the other boy's presence, he had to quash them quickly, lest Shikamaru catch on.

The thought that occurred to him earlier, while they were at the ramen bar was probably not something that he would ever share with anyone. Naruto had no problem with kissing. They had done so several times, and it was always an experience that made his stomach do cartwheels. But the thought he'd had half an hour ago nearly reduced him to stammering. Flashes of images flooded his mind: hands sliding over naked skin, lips crushed against one another in a desperate kiss, and bodies joined in an embrace of extreme passionate longing. He wasn't even sure where those images in his head came from, and in a way, he was frightened of them. Were they something that was a result of having a demon inside him?

At some point during these somewhat disturbing thoughts, Naruto's hand had ceased its movement. Now, he rested his palm flat in the middle of the other boy's stomach, feeling the mesh undershirt below the soft cotton of the outer layer. His face flamed red as the same thoughts cropped up again. There was no way to get rid of them, it seemed, especially when he was so close to Shikamaru. He could not get rid of them, and he couldn't push them aside. The thoughts prodded at him, wearing him down. His fingers twitched.

Naruto could almost feel the heat of Shikamaru's skin against his own, a radiation that called to him, beckoning his hands. Shutting he eyes tightly against the phantom sensations that ripped at his nerves, he unconsciously shifted closer to the sleeping boy until he was pressed entirely against him. Finding the heat of Shikamaru's body intoxicating, Naruto bit his lip. _His_ body was not his own anymore. He had no control. It was only vaguely that he felt his fingers gripping the bottom edge of black fabric before it was pulled up, mesh then tickling his palm before it too was pushed aside in favor of something warm, soft, and almost like silk. Naruto let out a long breath as his hand moved over lightly indented muscles. Sliding further, his fingers traced over ribs, and then down even farther to find the waistband of Shikamaru's pants. It was frightening, and exhilarating at the same time how very badly he found himself wanting to _touch_, and to be touched in return.

The instant his index finger dipped below the upper edge of loose black pants, Naruto found himself caught in a blur of movement, resulting in his laying flat on his back, arms and legs restrained. Shikamaru's body pressed heavily down on his, and Naruto could barely breathe. His hands were restrained above his head, and Shikamaru had hooked his feet around his legs. The position made him turn a new shade of crimson as sleep-clouded eyes began to clear, then stared down at him with curiosity. In an almost mocking tone, Shikamaru asked, "What were you doing?"

Unable to look at Shikamaru's face, Naruto's eyes chose instead to peer across the clearing at a rather unremarkable tree. "I…" Shikamaru's grip changed, and he could feel hot breath on his neck. His eyes instantly slid shut. "I…wha…I…"

Lips grazed his ear as they moved in speech. "You were trying to molest me in my sleep, weren't you, Naruto?" He tried so very hard not to agree. Really, he did. But he could never hide from Shikamaru. Naruto just let out a little sigh when Shikamaru's tongue touched his earlobe. Why on earth did that feel so good? An unusual note of mischief entered the dark-haired young man's voice, "Ah, well…why not try it while I can return the favor?"

Heart attack in five…four…three…two…

"What?!" Naruto squawked, his eyes flying open and fixing on the face that was so very close to his own. Shikamaru's eyes somehow radiated heat just as much as his body did, and it took a great deal of Naruto's self-control to keep himself from letting out the very girly whimper lurking in the back of his throat. His voice, which had served him so well for so long, was simply not working. All he could do when Shikamaru leaned down to kiss him was to meet him halfway. Before, when they kissed, it was slow. Shikamaru never forced anything, preferring to take things at a snail's pace rather than put him into a position that might be uncomfortable. Before, their kisses were sweet, and made Naruto feel like he was special and loved.

That was before. Before he was being teased by lips barely brushing over his…before he felt the stirrings of what could only be termed as _desire_ for the body pressing him into the grass. It rose; hot and so intense it almost frightened him, in his stomach, then burning through his every nerve. That desire only grew when he felt something hot and wet trace the line of his lips, and one of his hands was released so that Shikamaru could grasp the back of his neck, pulling him closer. Narutro gasped, and he could feel a lazy smirk against his mouth just before that same wet something slid right into his mouth. His free hand reached shakily up to Shikamaru's head, fingers grasping the rubber band, and pulled. Dark eyes fluttered near to closing, and a little moan of appreciation escaped Shikamaru as fingers combed through his hair. Naruto could not stop touching it. As he did his level best to keep up with Shikamaru's kissing—no easy task, I assure you—he buried his hand in chocolate-colored silk, loving the way it slid through his fingers. Tugging gently on the hair at the back of the other boy's head caused a groan to escape him.

* * *

He was going to explode. Shikamaru groaned as Naruto pulled on his hair, the pleasant sensation tingling down his spine. He had no idea of what was happening. What were they doing? Somewhere in the back of his head, he knew that this was what he wanted for a long time…and in that little dark corner, he said a prayer that Naruto did, too. Running out of air, Shikamaru pulled away from Naruto to look down into his eyes. They were a bit hazy. That strange blue, the color of cornflower skies, blinked up at him for a moment before he found Naruto's other hand wiggling out of his grip to join the first, in his hair.

Shikamaru continued to stare into Naruto's eyes. He had admitted to himself earlier that he had a weakness for those eyes. They revealed more than they hid, and their blue depths spoke volumes about the way he was feeling, or what he wanted. "Your eyes…" he murmured, one finger tracing Naruto's cheek, "…they're beautiful…" Any other time, with anyone else, he may have felt foolish. Another time, he might have thought himself corny. But Naruto, he was sure, knew that he meant it, and that he did not say it to gain anything.

A smile that was soft, and almost sad, though no less brilliant for it spread over Naruto's face, all the way up to his eyes, crinkling their very corners. "I love your hair," the blonde said, his fingers tangling deep, near the scalp to pull him closer. Warm breath glided over his lips, and suddenly, Naruto's mouth was forcefully pressed against his, and sharp teeth nipped at his lower lip. Shikamau's eyes opened wide with surprise, but he didn't let his surprise keep him from responding. Hands slid out of his hair and down his neck, beneath his vest, pushing it down until Shikamaru was obliged to sit up and toss the thing aside.

Before he had truly turned his attention back to his companion, Shikamaru felt air hitting his stomach as his shirt was pulled up. Naruto was now sitting, tugging at his shirts, eyes fixed on the skin that was being revealed. Warm hands smoothed up his sides, taking the mesh and cotton along with them, and he could feel calluses scratching at his skin every so often, causing pleasant little shivers to run through him. It felt almost like fear, but this was the kind of fear he could get used to. A tight knot of expectation was forming in the pit of his stomach, and it grew exponentially when he felt Naruto grazing his lips over the indentions between his abdominal muscles. "Mmmm…" he mumbled, until soft lips were replaced with a slightly rough, wet tongue that began traveling up to his chest, "Ahhhhh…N…"

Shikamaru couldn't even get out Naruto's name. His hair fell into his face when his shirts were pulled over his head, and he pushed it out of his eyes to stare down at blonde hair swaying in the gentle breeze. Though he was only half dressed, he felt like he was still wearing too many clothes. It was getting so hot, he was sure he would start sweating soon and—

_Oh, for the love of..._

Naruto's mouth had latched onto his left nipple, teeth nipping lightly, and Shikamaru found that he could barely breathe. With all of this stimulation, he failed to notice what the other boy's hands were doing. Suddenly, he felt a draft. His pants were unfastened, and being slid slowly, teasingly down his legs. _Fast. Too fast._ Things _were_ moving too fast. Naruto couldn't want this. Not this way. The way things were going, his self-control was going to fly away like some bird, and he would take advantage of Naruto in the least romantic way possible. He didn't want to do that to him. He deserved better. Naruto deserved gentleness, kindness and romance, not a rough fuck in the grass. With a supreme effort, Shikamaru took hold of Naruto's face with one hand and his own pants with the other. "Naruto…"

A confused crease formed between pale eyebrows. "What? I—"

Shikamaru silenced him with a chaste kiss. "Why are you doing this?"

Blue eyes couldn't meet his. "I…I w-want to…"

Somehow, Shikamaru doubted that. "Naruto, I don't think that this is what you want." He looked closely at the little downward turn of Naruto's lips, the way his jaw set. He was going to be stubborn about this, Shikamaru could tell. "Look at me, Naruto." The smaller boy looked up at him, eyes set in a determined expression. "It doesn't have to be now. I know your body wants this," he said, remembering the way Naruto's hands felt on his skin, "but your heart isn't sure, is it?"

"But…" Naruto's voice took on a pleading tone.

"But what?" Just like that first time months ago, Shikamaru asked his questions gently, letting Naruto lead himself to the answers. Two hands reached up to his hair, twined fingers in the silky strands, and pulled him downward.

It was the sweetest, gentlest kiss he'd ever received. Naruto's lips lingered on his for a moment before he spoke. "I've been dreaming about this…thinking about it all the time…I can't get it out of my head, Shikamaru." The soft wetness of Naruto's tongue grazed his lower lip, and he could feel his control cracking. What was he saying? That he'd been fantasizing about seducing him? "I want this. I want _you_," he took a deep breath, "I want you to make me feel the way I do when I dream…"

Shikamaru could feel his heart clenching in his chest. Those words tore at him, ripping away what little control he may have had on the need he felt. But he could still reason. His voice was a hoarse whisper as he said, "Not here." Naruto looked confused as Shikamaru hastily tied his pants shut again, and gathered up his clothing. He put his arms around Naruto and made a single seal behind the other boy's back. The world went black, and then there were faint, shifting colors at the edge of their sight until they materialized in a dim room.

* * *

Naruto sat nervously on the edge of the mattress as he watched Shikamaru secure the room against interruptions. There were sealing fudas on the door and the window, and a soundproofing jutsu was placed on the walls, ceiling, and floor. The curtains were drawn, and genjutsu was cast on the door to block out shadows and movement from within. His movements were precise, with not one bit of energy wasted. It felt contrived. Before, it would have been spontaneous. It would have been something that was unplanned, but now, it looked as if Shikamaru had thought of everything. Was that the way things were supposed to be?

In Ero-Sennin's books, things happened in the heat of the moment. There was never any planning involved. The hero got into a fight with a beautiful woman, and somehow, they ended up making love in the oddest places…but there were never any sealing fudas or anti-eavesdropping techniques used. He could only think that it was because Shikamaru was a genius, and he would have been able to think of these things at some point. His thoughts were interrupted by Shikamaru's voice.

"Naruto."

The blonde boy looked up, blue eyes meeting black, and he nearly melted. There was a tender expression in Shikamaru's eyes, and when he touched Naruto's face, it was so gently that Naruto had to lean into it to really feel him. That hand took his chin and tilted it upward. Lips met his, chaste and tender for a long moment until he gave a little sigh. At that point, Shikamaru pressed more firmly against his mouth, parting his lips slightly and barely grazed Naruto's lips with his tongue. This caused his eyes to fall shut, and he allowed himself to be washed away by the sensation of Shikamaru's hands running over the shoulders of his jacket, down his arms and back up again. After an unknowable amount of time, the kiss broke, and in the low light, he watched the flickering emotion in dark eyes as Shikamaru smiled down at him.

"Naruto," Shikamaru's voice sounded unsure. "I…I…"

Resting his forehead against Shikamaru's, Naruto whispered, "Shhh…you don't need to say anything." He didn't need to. It was easy to see what the other boy was going to say. Naruto pulled him to sit next to him, and turned toward Shikamaru. The air in the room seemed heavy as he breathed in a combination of smells that was distinct only to the boy he was with. There was the scent of cloves, the remnants of cigarettes smoked in memoriam of his sensei…weapon oil combined with sweat to make it plain that he was an elite ninja…and then something more subtle, like the barest hint of ginger. That was what Shikamaru smelled like: ginger and cigarettes, with an undertone of clean sweat. It was sharp, but not abrasive.

In fact, he felt himself quickly becoming addicted to the smell. When Shikamaru leaned in to kiss him again, he could taste nothing of cloves and tobacco. It must have been hours ago that he had smoked. Naruto didn't see it becoming an addiction the way it had for Asuma, but it might be a habit…a ritual of sorts. His nose brushed Shikamaru's, and he tentatively pressed his lips against the other boy's. Arms wound around him, encircling his body with a kind of protective shell, and he found himself being gently lowered to the mattress.

Shikamaru's hesitation was endearing, making him almost awkward in his caresses, but Naruto didn't mind. It was honest. He felt a hand snake under his jacket and shirt, cool against his skin, and moving in a slow, uncertain circle over his stomach. It was a little ticklish, but he could stand it, because it felt nice, too. The larger boy's weight settled lightly over him, one knee between his, resting on elbows that were positioned on either side of Naruto's shoulders. Only then did he realize that he was actually aroused. In addition to feeling his own erection, he found another hardness pressed against his hip.

The weight above him shifted, and he gasped as cloth rubbed over his groin. Shikamaru made a little groan, and his mouth moved from Naruto's lips, down his chin, to his neck. Breathing became difficult for him when Shikamaru started nipping at sensitive skin just above his collarbone. "Ahhhh…" he bit out, trying not to be too loud.

"No one can hear, Naruto…" Shikamaru growled against his neck, "Let it out…_please_. I need to know if I'm doing this right." If he was doing it right? Naruto wanted to laugh. He surely wasn't doing anything _wrong_! Shikamaru's tongue wound its way up the tendons of his neck to flick at his earlobe. His hips bore down harder, and a loud moan filled the room. "That's better…" Every inch of his skin felt like it was being set on fire. Naruto was sure of it.

There was a little clinking noise, and then he felt his jacket being unzipped. Somehow, the two of them managed to get both it and his shirt off without too much fumbling, and then he felt the most wonderful thing in the world. Warm skin pressed against his, sliding with a very faint layer of sweat as they moved against each other. Heat spread through him, and his muscles tensed as he made a very undignified mewling sound and arched up off of the bed when Shikamaru's mouth slid down to his chest, suckling and biting at various spots. Just when he was settling into the flood of sensations, Naruto found himself looking around for Shikamaru. The other boy was gone. Disoriented, he blinked rapidly, trying to clear the fog of desire that had developed in his mind. A sudden light flared in the far corner of the room, and he found Shikamaru in the shadows, holding a candle. "It's getting dark," he said, "and I want to see you."

The candle was placed next to the little alarm clock on the bed table, and Naruto smiled at the way the shadows played over Shikamaru's face and chest, yellow light from the candle softening the little permanent crease between his eyebrows. Reaching a hand out to him, Naruto said, "Come to bed," and was rewarded by a hand grasping his. Shikamaru pulled him up from the bed, lifting him off of his feet until he was at eye level with him.

"I want to see your eyes, Naruto." His tone was serious. "I want to see them…when we make love." Naruto's heart skipped a beat in his chest. He had never thought that if they ended up being together, that it would be just sex. But to hear that word…it gave him a thrill he had never known before. His legs wound around Shikamaru's waist, and he sighed when he felt hard flesh against his own groin.

His fingers set about their favorite diversion: threading through Shikamaru's hair. "You…you want me that way?" His throat was getting choked up. That wasn't a good sign. It was only a second or two before tears were rolling down his cheeks.

Shikamaru's smile was sad, but beautiful. "I want you _every_ way." Their lips met again, and somehow, in a flurry of movement, the two boys found the softness of the bed. The pressure began to build in Naruto's stomach as Shikamaru's hips rolled against his. "I…" the dark-haired by gasped, "I need you."

If there had been any defenses, doubts, or hesitations left in Naruto's mind, they were gone now. There was something wild about the way he felt now, as if he had some deep hunger that needed to be satisfied, and there was only one kind of food that it craved. As he once again fumbled with Shikamaru's pants, he gasped, "Please…" cool hands found their way into his dark blue boxer shorts, and he felt his eyes roll back into his head when one closed around the painful erection he had developed through all of their activities. "Ahhhhhh…Sh…Shik-agh!" His remaining clothing was yanked off in unceremonious fashion, and Naruto glared at his would-be lover.

When had Shikamaru learned to pull pants and underwear off like that?

With a wicked grin, Shikamaru said, "Oops…was that your underwear?" Naruto would have been sullen, but he had just happened to notice how the other boy's pants were hanging on for dear life at a very low altitude, revealing a tease of dark hair, and the curve of his hips. He swallowed hard when a twitch of those hips sent black pants to the floor. Perhaps it was the candlelight, but he was sure that he had never seen anything more beautiful than Shikamaru in that moment. He seemed to glow. Noticing Naruto's fascination, he smiled. "You should see yourself. So beautiful…" For a moment, he seemed almost afraid to touch him. Like he was fragile, and might break at the slightest tremor.

Then, Shikamaru knelt between Naruto's parted legs. Sitting on his feet, he leaned down, kissing Naruto's hipbone. A little shock of pleasure made him shiver. The kiss ended, but Shikamaru then traced the area with his tongue, then bit lightly. Naruto cried out. A tongue dragged closer and closer to his neglected erection, but didn't touch it. He could feel his entire body begin to tremble. "Shikamaru…" He gasped, "…Please…stop teasing me…"

* * *

That was all he wanted. Naruto banished his fears with that one 'please'. He spread the smaller boy's legs slightly wider, and leaned down again. Running his tongue along the length of Naruto's erection sent a violent shiver through his lover, and he went deliberately slow, until he reached the very tip, where he placed a lingering open-mouthed kiss. The fluid leaking from the slit was salty, but not unpleasant as he took it into his mouth, earning a loud moan and a growled expletive.

"Fuck!" Naruto said, gripping the sheets and throwing his head back. Shikamaru continued to lave Naruto's erection with his mouth while the other boy attempted not to flail too much. "Sh…Shik…oh, _gods_…I'm gonna…" There was a pulsing in his mouth, and Shikamaru reached to the base of Naruto's arousal, gripping it tightly, just enough to hurt. It had the desired effect of stopping the impending orgasm. He pulled back and looked into startled blue eyes, shaded by candlelight.

"Not yet, Naruto. Wait for me…" Shikamaru reached to the night table's drawer, withdrawing a small bottle he had started keeping there a few weeks ago. For a while, he had been plagued with dreams of doing this very thing to Naruto, and he had found it necessary to relieve the god-awful tension he woke up with. Popping open the lotion bottle, he squeezed a liberal amount into his palm, first coating his hand, then his own painful erection. Bending low, he kissed Naruto. "This may feel a bit strange," he whispered against his lips.

* * *

Naruto tensed a little as Shikamaru pushed a finger inside him. It felt strange, indeed. The intrusion wasn't painful, though, so he started to relax a bit and let himself become used to it. But then that finger started moving. It probed, stroked, and explored him, moving in and out wetly. After a few moments, it didn't feel bad at all. It _really_ didn't feel bad when that finger turned, prodding up toward his pubic bone, and brushed against something that made his breath catch. "Shikamaru…" he moaned, "Oh, do that again…"

The other boy had set about nibbling his right thigh, and mumbled his agreement as he did so. Again and again, that finger pressed the spot inside him, and he groaned heavily each time. He was completely relaxed now, simply letting the sensations fly through his body as he writhed under Shikamaru's touch. It took nearly a full minute to realize that there was another finger working along with the first, every now and again, the two working apart from one another. He felt a twinge of pain, but for the most part, it was alright. His mind was taken from the hurt by Shikamaru's lips on his, and the sudden jolt of pleasure he felt when something hard grazed against his erection. Naruto realized when it happened again that Shikamaru was running his own hardness against his, and his breathing started to become even more labored than it had been.

Shikamaru removed his fingers abruptly from him, and looked down into his eyes, "Are you sure? We can stop if you're not…"

"No. I'm sure. Please, Shikamaru…" He watched the boy above him smile once more before he was being kissed senseless. There was something slick and hot pressing at him now, and he held his breath, not knowing what to expect. As Shikamaru pressed forward, Naruto whimpered into their kiss, voicing his discomfort. Tears collected in the corners of his eyes, shining on his eyelashes. The other boy's forward advance halted, and dark, concerned eyes met his, asking the silent question. "No…I'm okay. Keep going." With a very distracted nod, Shikamaru slowly joined their bodies, and once again stopped, giving him time to relax and adjust to the new feeling of being filled.

Naruto lay there, his hands gripping Shikamaru's forearms, feeling the other boy's ragged breathing as he trembled. "Oh…" Shikamaru groaned, "…it's so…" his head rested on Naruto's shoulder as he tried to control himself. So what? What was it? Was he hurting? But those questions were thrown aside when he felt hot open-mouthed kisses falling on his neck and shoulder. "…it's…_tight_…"

"Oh," Naruto mused, and clenched his muscles experimentally.

"Gah…N…Naru…" Shikamaru's panting rendered his words nearly unintelligible. To shut him up, Naruto took two handfuls of his hair and pulled him in to kiss him. The room seemed to heat, the air growing uncomfortable with the expectation of what was to come as he explored the other boy's mouth. Shikamaru began to move slowly, pushing gently, and Naruto's eyes slid nearly shut. It felt good. Gods, did it feel good…but he could tell that Shikamaru was holding himself back.

"Don't hold back," he whispered against his lover's lips.

"I don't want to hurt you…"

Naruto wrapped his legs around Shikamaru's thighs and jerked them hard, causing the other boy to slam forward with enough force to send sparks of white-hot pleasure flying through both their bodies. "Aaaaagh!" Naruto yelled, and then he growled, "I'll tell you if you hurt me. Now please…do that again." Shikamaru was still trying to recover from the sudden movement, it seemed. He was unable to move or speak. "Shikamaru…" he pleaded, "…make love to me…_please_…"

* * *

He couldn't breathe. It felt like every nerve in his body was singing with some kind of pleasure. Naruto wanted him to move. He was _begging_ for it. Unwilling to cause any kind of harm, he tentatively moved a bit faster. Shikamaru felt as if he were being smothered by the pleasure. It was like no matter how he moved, there was no way for him to breathe properly. Spikes of pleasure shot through him, and he willed his body to calm itself, to no avail.

Naruto writhed beneath him, panting and giving off such moans that he couldn't restrain himself much longer. Collapsing to his elbows, he pressed himself into the body beneath him, faster, deeper…and all the while, he listened to the way Naruto voiced his own pleasure. After a little while, he heard a choked sound come from the smaller boy. When he raised his head from where he had been resting it on a damp shoulder, he saw that Naruto was biting his lips. "Don't keep it in, Naruto."

He watched Naruto let go of his lips before he thrust harder, and found what the choked sound was. A piercing scream filled the room, and Naruto's back arched up off of the bed. Panting, moaning, and faint whimpers followed before Shikamaru heard, "Harder…please…oh, gods, please harder…" Overwhelmed by the pleasure of being inside his lover, and the breathless tone of the other boy's voice, Shikamaru pushed as hard as he possibly could. Once, twice, three times, before another scream slashed through the dim room, ending in a howl that somehow sounded like his name. A sticky wetness filled the gap between their bodies, and already tight muscles inside Naruto clamped down even harder, causing him to groan as he let himself go, spilling over the edge.

Heedless of the fast-drying fluid between them, or the heat of the room, Shikamaru collapsed atop the smaller body, panting. There was the most wonderful feeling of completion washing over him, along with a fatigue that was sure to claim him with sleep very soon. "Shikamaru…" He heard Naruto say before he felt a light kiss on his shoulder, "I could get used to that…"

A smile spread over Shikamaru's face, beyond his control. "Me too…"

* * *

_Some time later…_

Through a light crackling of static, a hissing whisper came over the radio earpieces of the eight-person team. "It's so fucking dark I can't see my hand in front of my face!" Naruto shifted his feet where he stood. It really was too dark. How the hell was anyone short of Neji (who was _not_ present) supposed to see anything at all?

"Keep quiet, moron!" Had Sakura been within arm's reach of him, she would have bopped him on the head pretty harshly, but seeing as she was fifty meters to the southwest, all she could do was bark an order.

"Yes ma'am." He shrank to the northeast, away from where he knew she was. Today was going to be hard enough, without getting a beating from Sakura as well. As it was, he could end up being beaten to a pulp and murdered by one person, or having his soul sucked out by another. He'd rather take his chances with the beating and murdering, honestly, because even if he was tainted, _that_ person at least had a soul to begin with.

"It's always darkest before the dawn." The low voice of his former sensei cracked back at him. Naruto smiled. He was glad that Kakashi was there as well. He was going to need all the support he could get.

Sai sat near Naruto's feet, and from the scratching noises he was hearing, the strange young man was raking his gloved hands through the dirt. He asked in his oddly toned voice, "Are we sure they'll be here?"

Ino's irritated voice came over the radio. "How can they not be? Didn't you _see _that trail of destruction?"

"Hehe. I don't have your abilities, Ino-chan." It didn't take a set of eyes to know that Sai was smiling, and more than likely, trying to bait Ino. That, along with prodding at Naruto, had become his favorite pastime. He'd learned his lesson about messing with Sakura quite some time ago when she nearly punched him through a cliff face. And of course, Ino took the bait.

"Gods forbid you ever learn the _Shintenshin_, Sai."

"No, he likes to study his enemies. Kind of like studying the subject of a painting before the work begins." That was Chouji. Every now and again, the armored teenager came up with the most surprising insights. Naruto filed that away in his mind. He wondered if maybe, Chouji was right. He'd sparred with Sai a few times now. It was nothing like with he fought and bickered with Sasuke, or even when he sparred against Shikamaru. The artistic ninja was more calculating than Sasuke, and more devious by half than Shikamaru. He really did take his time. Though, Naruto had to admit, he wanted to know how he got that paint to stay in the air as he summoned whatever big beast he was using…

Shikamaru's voice came now, from the north, quiet and all business. "Quiet. The sun's is starting to rise." They all stood stock still, facing the one spot where they knew they would see what they'd come to. Far off in the distance, in the growing gray light, they could see a cloud of dust and debris rising sporadically from the jungle canopy. The clearing they were in was directly in the path of the destruction headed their way. By the time two figures burst through the tree line, the sun had risen into a blue, cloudless sky. Naruto smiled. It was turning out to be a good day to die, if that was indeed his fate.

"Naruto." The voice was next to his ear, and if he had not been hoping for it, it would have made him jump. Turning to his left, he found Shikamaru standing there. "Don't die, okay?" Naruto smiled softly up at Shikamaru until he said, "I don't think I want to deal with things if you do." Before he could reply, he found his mouth covered in a desperate, passionate kiss. His lips parted, allowing Shikamaru's feverish exploration of his mouth. When the kiss broke, Shikamaru rested his forehead against his. "I know that I probably don't say this enough…"

Naruto tried to shush him, but he shook his head.

"No…let me." Dark eyes looked into his, and Naruto had to try very hard not to let himself cry. "I love you, Naruto."

Just like every other time Shikamaru had said that to him, Naruto's stomach suddenly felt light. "I love you, Nara Shikamaru." It was hard to tear himself away. His hands didn't want to let go of the soft black cotton of Shikamaru's shirt front. But as they finally slid away, and he looked into his lover's eyes, he gained the strength to do what he had to. It was just like what Shikamaru had said. He did what he had to, when he had to, and there was no going back. He turned away from Shikamaru, and strode out into the clearing.

"Sasuke!"

Black eyes turned to stare at, into, and through him. This was what he must do.

End.

**A/N:** Again, I'm sorry it took this long to finish this up. And for those of you who have reviewed, lots of love. Later!


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